TGIF for the .XXX Domain, or Not

"As you know, the Board is scheduled to consider approval of a contract for a new top level domain intended to be used for adult content. I am omitting the specific TLD here because experience shows that some email systems filter out anything containing the three letters associated with the TLD. You may recall that during the session between the GAC and the Board in Luxembourg that some countries had expressed strong positions to the Board on this issue. In other GAC sessions, a number of other governments also expressed some concern with the potential introduction of this TLD. . . . I believe there remains a strong sense of discomfort in the GAC about the TLD, notwithstanding the explanations to date. . . . In this regard, I would like to bring to the Board's attention the possibility that several governments will choose to take this course of action. I would like to request that in any further debate that we may have with regard to this TLD that we keep this background in mind. Based on the foregoing, I believe the Board should allow time for additional governmental and public policy concerns to be expressed before reaching a final decision on this TLD." -- Correspondence from Mohd Sharil Tarmizi, Chairman of International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers' Government Affairs Committee to the ICANN Board of Directors on August 12, 2005.


"Since the ICANN Board voted to negotiate a contact with ICM Registry for the .xxx TLD in June 2005, this issue has garnered widespread public attention and concern outside of the ICANN community. The Department of Commerce has received nearly 6,000 letters and emails from individuals expressing concern about the impact of pornography on families and children and opposing the creation of a new top level domain devoted to adult content. We also understand that other countries have significant reservations regarding the crcation of a xxx TLD I beleive that ICANN has also received many of these concerned comments. The volume of correspondence opposed to creation eta .xxx TLD is unprecedented. Given the extent of the negative reaction, I request that the Board will provide a proper process and adequate additional time for these concerns to be voiced and addressed before any additional action takes place on this issue." -- Letter from Michael D. Gallagher, Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Commerce, to ICANN Chairman Vinton Cerf on August 15, 2005.


". . . We are, to say the very least, disappointed that concerns that should have been raised and addressed weeks and months ago are being raised in the final days before the Board is scheduled to approve the agreement negotiated with staff. . ." -- Letter from Stuart Lawley, CEO of ICM Registry for the .XXX domain, to Paul Twomey, ICANN CEO on August 15, 2005.


"All sites using ".xxx" would be required to follow yet-to-be-written "best practices" guidelines, such as prohibitions against trickery through spamming and malicious scripts. Skeptics note that porn sites are likely to keep their existing ".com" storefronts, even as they set up shop in the new ".xxx" domain name, reducing the effectiveness of any software filters set up to simply block all ".xxx" names. Conservative groups such as the Family Research Council also expressed worries that creating a ".xxx" suffix would also legitimize pornographers." -- Anick Jesdanun writing for The Associated Press on Tuesday, August 16, 2005.