Expect new TLD applications for .xxx, but expect challenges too.
Poor .xxx. The top level domain that never was to be. On again, off again.
With the new top level domain process getting into high gear and ICANN expecting 500 applications, you can be assured that some of them will be for .xxx, .sex, or .porn.
But will they be approved? The morality police are on the prowl.
Today ICANN released an explanatory memo “Morality and Public Order Objection Considerations in New gTLDs” about controversial TLDs (pdf). This is sure to be a hotly debated subject and ICANN has put a lot of legwork into formulating a consensus. So far the consensus is that panels could reject anything related to incitement of violent lawless action, incitement to or promotion of discrimination based upon race, color, gender, ethnicity, religion or national origin, and incitement to or promotion of child pornography.
Few would disagree with that.
But the discussion will be around what violates norms in various countries and not others: gambling and pornography are high on that list. After all, you can’t register second level domains related to these two in some middle eastern domains, such as .AE.
Perhaps someone should apply for .equalrightsforwomen and give a free email address to all women in Saudi Arabia. On second thought, I’d hate to see all of them in jail.
Michael Berkens says
Andrew
Here’s the problem.
ICANN should take a public position on this now.
Otherwise you are going to have companies putting up $185K application fees, non-refundable.
If no “adult” extension are going to be approved based on moral grounds, ICANN needs to state so now.
Andrew says
Michael, presumably the draft will be refined before people apply. But yes, they need to include this specific issue before application fees are collected.
jp says
All things being equal, they should allow any extension. So what you can register killthepresident.com, but not a tld .killthepresident? Thus the uniquely democratic nature of the internet right? Is this one of those times where adding regulation is bad, or good?
Andrew says
jp – good point. ICANN probably doesn’t want the publicity of it though. Right now if someone registers a “bad” domain like that, news articles callout the registrar about it. If it’s a TLD, they’ll call out ICANN.
Andrew says
Just thought of something else. Even if someone gets a controversial TLD, they’ll have to convince registrars to offer it to customers. That’s not likely if it’s controversial.
Matthew Diehl says
Andrew – good point on the bottleneck that could be created by the registrars boycotting or having a reservation in offering domains on adult or “bad” TLDs. It is also beneficial to point out that similar bottlenecks could be implemented by ISPs or browser companies. ISPs could choose not to update their DNS systems to resolve domains that end in .killthepresident (for example) or non-open source browsers can reject that as a valid domain.