The Domain Name System, better known as DNS, has been an indispensable component of the internet since its inception. It began as a straightforward mechanism to resolve human-readable domain names into machine-friendly IP addresses, but over the decades, DNS has undergone remarkable evolution. Today, it serves not only as the internet’s directory but also as…

The Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) plays a pivotal role in shaping and influencing decisions within the Domain Name System (DNS) namespace, ensuring that the perspectives of national governments and public authorities are incorporated into the governance of the internet. As a key component of the multistakeholder model managed by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names…

The integration of IPv6 into the global networking infrastructure marks a pivotal moment in the evolution of the internet. As the successor to IPv4, IPv6 not only addresses the limitations of its predecessor but also significantly expands the namespace, enabling a virtually limitless number of unique IP addresses. This transformation is essential for supporting the…

The delegation of top-level domains (TLDs) and subdomains is a critical process in the architecture of the Domain Name System (DNS), enabling the seamless operation of the internet’s hierarchical naming structure. This delegation process defines how authority and responsibility for different parts of the DNS namespace are distributed among various entities, ensuring efficient management and…

The Domain Name System (DNS) is the backbone of the internet, enabling users to navigate the web through human-readable domain names rather than numerical IP addresses. Its global nature necessitates governance structures that transcend borders, integrating technical coordination with legal oversight to ensure the stability, security, and accessibility of the namespace. International legal frameworks play…

The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) occupies a central position in the ongoing discussions about the governance, stability, and evolution of the internet’s namespace. Established in 2006 under the auspices of the United Nations, the IGF provides a multistakeholder platform where diverse participants—governments, private sector entities, civil society, technical experts, and academia—convene to address critical issues…

Accountability and transparency are foundational principles in the governance of the Domain Name System (DNS), ensuring that its operations remain trustworthy, equitable, and effective for the billions of users and organizations that rely on it daily. As a critical infrastructure of the internet, the DNS facilitates seamless navigation by resolving human-readable domain names into machine-readable…

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) plays a pivotal role in managing the global namespace, ensuring that the Domain Name System (DNS) remains stable, secure, and equitable. One of ICANN’s most critical functions is its policy development process (PDP), a structured framework that enables the creation, refinement, and implementation of policies affecting…

The introduction of new generic top-level domains (gTLDs) has fundamentally reshaped the domain name system (DNS), expanding the namespace to accommodate a diverse range of industries, communities, and creative expressions. While this expansion has unlocked vast opportunities, it has also introduced significant complexities, particularly in the form of contention over gTLD strings. Contention occurs when…

In the intricate system of the Domain Name System (DNS), registries play a central role in managing and maintaining the namespace. One of the most critical distinctions in how registries operate is the choice between thick and thin registry models, which determine how and where domain data is stored and accessed. These models influence not…