ICANN top-level .xxx domain name not dead yet

Sunday, January 7, 2007

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) announced Friday that its vote in May last year was not to reject the creation of ‘Triple X’, a top-level domain (sTLD). Rather, the corporation voted “not to approve the agreement as proposed, but did not reject the application”.

A revised proposal for the .xxx domain is open to public comment until February 5. The revised proposal appears to have hinged on efforts by ICM, proponents of a voluntary adult top-level domain, to promote enforcement in the following areas:

1. Prohibit child pornography
2. Require clear labeling
3. Support development of user empowerment technology
4. Ensure that the child advocacy and free expression communities are involved in policy development for the sTLD.

Who, or what, ICM is remains unclear. The home page of ICM states that, “The .xxx top-level domain will create a clearly identifiable area of the Internet so that Internet users can be more informed when choosing to select or avoid adult entertainment sites.”

The estimated $12 billion per year in revenues generated by on-line pornography could come under the scrutiny of unknown ICM, to whom ICANN proposes delegating responsibility to an organization, or individual, that has nothing more to say about themselves on their website than the background of their leaders.