.- The
five-year battle over whether the Internet Corporation for Assigned
Names and Numbers (ICANN) should implement a .xxx domain for porn sites
finally ended after the private agency rejected the proposal this week
in a 9-5 vote.
The .xxx domain
proposal had been floating around since 2001, but the decision on it
was delayed several times. Proponents argued that the domain would make
it easier to keep track of porn sites. Opponents argued that the domain
would legitimize pornography and lead to greater state control over the
creation of pornographic content, reported TG Daily News.
Last June, ICANN
voted to give the project preliminary approval. But this was delayed in
August 2005 at the request of the U.S. Department of Commerce, which
said that it had "concerns" over the proposal.
Concerned Women
of America (CWA) applauded ICANN’s decision. Jan LaRue, CWA’s chief
counsel said she met with officials at the U.S. Department of Commerce
last year to express vigorous opposition to the porn domain. According
to LaRue, after thousands of e-mails were sent to the Department of
Commerce, the Bush administration announced its own opposition to the
domain. Letters of opposition were also sent to Paul Twomey, CEO of
ICANN.
“We objected for
many reasons but the most obvious was that porn sites would be free to
keep all of their current domains, such as .com, and add the .xxx
domain,” LaRue said in a press release.
“This vote
proves the power of regular folks when they raise their voices against
the power-brokers who think they can run the universe without
opposition. This is a win against a multi-million dollar, six-year
effort on behalf of the porn industry,” she said.
Twomey told
journalists that the ICANN board’s decision “was not driven by a
political consideration.” But that didn’t stop EU Information Society
and Media Commissioner Viviane Reding of accusing the U.S. Department
of Commerce of "political interference in ICANN,” reported TG Daily
News.
Some proponents
have accused the U.S. of wanting to maintain control over the Internet.
In order to make a change to the domain name structure ICANN would need
the approval of the US Department of Commerce.
According to the
TG Daily News report, some people accuse the U.S. of espousing a "hands
off" policy in public, but of being responsible behind the scenes for
delaying and then killing the .xxx domain.
Anti-pornography advocates pleased as .XXX domain proposal crumbles
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