Category: TLD Governance

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, known universally as ICANN, serves as the global steward of the Domain Name System, a role that requires not only technical expertise and policy coordination but also responsible financial management. ICANN’s ability to fulfill its mission depends heavily on how it collects, allocates, and governs its financial…

The Expedited Policy Development Process, or EPDP, on gTLD Registration Data is one of the most consequential and complex policy initiatives undertaken within the ICANN multi-stakeholder model. Emerging in response to sweeping changes in global data protection regulations, particularly the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the EPDP represents a comprehensive effort to modernize…

The introduction of a new top-level domain into the Domain Name System is a complex process that requires careful planning, structured phases, and coordinated stakeholder engagement to ensure fairness, stability, and the protection of intellectual property rights. To manage the allocation of domain names under newly launched TLDs, ICANN and the broader domain name industry…

The stability, security, and resiliency of the Domain Name System are fundamental to the operation of the global internet. Every top-level domain relies on back-end registry operators to manage critical technical functions such as maintaining authoritative name servers, processing domain name registrations, and ensuring accurate DNS zone file publication. Any prolonged failure or operational disruption…

The growing prominence of DNS abuse in the global internet ecosystem has made its measurement a critical priority for policymakers, registries, registrars, security researchers, and the broader DNS governance community. Accurately quantifying the scope, nature, and trends of DNS abuse is essential for developing effective policy responses, allocating enforcement resources, evaluating the performance of registry…

The Security and Stability Advisory Committee, commonly referred to as SSAC, plays a vital role in the governance of the Domain Name System by providing independent, expert advice on matters affecting the security, stability, and resiliency of the global DNS infrastructure. As a designated advisory committee within ICANN’s multi-stakeholder model, the SSAC serves as a…

The expansion of the Domain Name System through the introduction of hundreds of new top-level domains has brought not only a diversification of available domain name options but also the emergence of varying business models and policy structures for how these TLDs operate. One of the most consequential policy distinctions in TLD governance lies in…

The expansion of the Domain Name System through the New gTLD Program brought new challenges for trademark owners concerned about the potential for increased cybersquatting, trademark infringement, and other abuses of intellectual property rights. While the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) had long been the cornerstone of domain name dispute resolution for legacy…

The history of country-code top-level domains, or ccTLDs, is deeply intertwined with the very formation and expansion of the global internet. Long before the sophisticated multi-stakeholder model of ICANN governance took shape, the delegation of ccTLDs occurred under far simpler and often informal arrangements, led primarily by a small group of technical pioneers. The processes,…

The Domain Name System, as the core addressing system of the internet, was originally designed with an emphasis on functionality, speed, and resilience, but with little consideration for privacy. As the global internet matured and became a central platform for commerce, communication, and critical infrastructure, concerns over DNS privacy have intensified. Increasingly sophisticated surveillance capabilities,…