Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers just gave “.xxx” the boot, rejecting ICM Registry, Inc.�s third attempt at creating the “.xxx” Internet suffix. As reported here earlier in the month, both the adult-entertainment industry and a coalition of religious groups had criticized the plan.
The 9-5 decision came at an open board meeting, held in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It came nearly seven years after the proposal was first floated by ICM Registry LLC, a Florida startup that handles Web-site registrations with the aim of overseeing sites that want to have the “.xxx” Internet suffix.
“This decision was the result of very careful scrutiny and consideration of all the arguments. That consideration has led a majority of the board to believe that the proposal should be rejected,” said Vinton Cerf, ICANN’s chairman.
“We are extremely disappointed by the board’s action today,” said Stuart Lawley, ICM’s president and chief executive. He added that ICM would pursue the matter further and added that a lawsuit against ICANN was likely.
The first time ICM proposed �.xxx�, ICANN agency tabled and effectively rejected a similar “.xxx” proposal in 2000, out of similar content regulation fears. ICM resubmitted its proposal in 2004, which was rejected by ICANN in May 2006.
ICANN will no longer hear ICM’s proposal, but indicated that an entirely new application might be considered.
Porn sites opposed to “.xxx” were largely concerned that the domain name, while billed as voluntary, would eventually lead to governments mandating its use and pushing them into a so-called online ghetto.
Religious groups worried that “.xxx” would legitimize and expand the number of adult sites, which more than a third of U.S. Internet users visit each month, according to comScore Media Metrix. The Web site measurement firm said 4 percent of all Web traffic and 2 percent of all time spent Web surfing involved an adult site.
Nearly all of the board members who voted against approving the domain said they were concerned about the possibility that ICANN could find itself in the content regulation business.
The Canadian government echoed that sentiment, having warned that a decision in favor of “.xxx” would have put the ICANN in the tricky business of content regulation, having to decide which sites are pornographic and which are not.
