Adult-only TLD rejected by Internet body

March 30, 2007

The creation of the proposed "adult-only" Top-Level Domain name, .xxx, has again been rejected today by the board of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which manages the Internet's domain name systems. The creation of the TLD was opposed by a 9 to 4 vote, with one abstention on the part of ICANN CEO Paul Twomey.

The domain was first proposed in 2001, with reasons stated as creating an "adults-only" section of the Internet, making it easier to filter out pornographic or otherwise unsuitable websites for children. The proposal was approved in June 2005, with a final decision to be made in December of the same year. However, in May 2006, the decision was reversed, and the approval was revoked. In January of this year, the proposal was reopened.

The rejection of the creation of the TLD today was focused on the main reason of ICANN not wanting to become involved in "content regulation". Steve Goldstein, ICANN board member, told the Associated Press that "the last point in our board's resolution that under the revised agreement that we, ICANN, would be forced to assume ongoing management and oversight roles regarding the content, and that is inconsistent with ICANN's technical mandate."