ICANN approves .XXX red-light district for the Internet

[nsane.forums]

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has given the .XXX top-level domain (TLD) its final seal of approval. The TLD is meant to give pornographic websites a clearly marked home on the Internet, but it has gone through so many ups and downs over the last 11 years that it's almost a shock that it has finally gone through. Still, the measure didn't pass without opposition—nine ICANN board members voted in favor of .XXX, while three opposed and four abstained—and the vote went against the recommendation of ICANN's Government Advisory Committee.

The .XXX TLD was initially proposed by ICM Registry in 2000 and resubmitted in 2004, but it faced strong opposition from politicians and conservative groups. After the second .XXX proposal was approved in 2005, the Family Research Council (FRC) launched a campaign arguing that the TLD would allow pornographers to "expand their evil empires on the Internet." The porn industry opposed the TLD as well, arguing that it would lead to censorship and promote legislation harmful to the industry.

ICANN's board of directors ultimately rejected .XXX in 2006, concerned that the TLD might make ICANN responsible for enforcing laws and regulations over Internet porn. However, supporters of the domain brought it back for consideration in 2007 and again in 2010. The TLD got preliminary approval in June of 2010 with the final vote today.

The proposal is the same as the one outlined in late 2010. ICM Registry will manage the .XXX suffix, and those looking to register an .XXX domain must first complete an application process that will be overseen by the International Foundation for Online Responsibility (IFFOR). The domains will be limited to the adult industry, and ICM says adult sites that already own .com TLDs will be able to reserve their .XXX domains early so that they can "protect their brand names and intellectual property rights within .XXX."

Neither the adult industry nor free speech advocates are pleased with the decision. "Of course we are disappointed but we are not surprised by the ICANN Board’s decision. As voiced in concerns by speakers at this very conference, the ICANN Board has dangerously undervalued the input from governments worldwide," Free Speech Coalition (FSC) Executive Director Diane Duke said in a statement. "Worse, they have disregarded overwhelming outpouring of opposition from the adult entertainment industry—the supposed sponsorship community—dismissing the interests of free speech on the Internet."

The FSC emphasized that the fight isn't over yet, though—the organization plans to make use of ICANN's review procedures in order to "help the industry fully understand the risks and ramifications of participating in .XXX."

View: Original Article

[RadioActive]

I wish they'd force ALL pornographic websites to use the .XXX domain, it will make it much easier to filter them out.

[myidisbb]

booo booo illegal and kucf them. this is stupid. it is meant to force adult sites that go to it to pay extra money. they are not going to go there. those dot com sites are money makers. this is not going to protect anybody. kcuf the children excuse too. you will still get ads from adult places on websites that are not porn. so this is a total stupid waste of time and money. the company pushing this is all about extorision of money from adult sites. does anyone really think they are going to buy, excuse me, rent domions with xxx that they have to pay a lot? kcuf no. this will provide no protection for anyone. just elitist filthy rich libs tryign to steal money.

besides what is porn in one nation is not porn in others. next usa states will try to do their forcing crap. more court and nothing done in the end.

note i do not visit porn sites. but i believe in their freedom to be there.

[Atasas]

:sneaky:

I do not visit them either