The .XXX porn domain sparked renewed protests.
ICANN's decision to begin registering domain names in the .XXX zone has sparked mixed reactions among domain market participants. And despite the decision being "established," protests continue.
The Australian government recently joined the chorus of protesters, sending an official letter to ICANN. The letter protests the introduction of the domain and states that the introduction of the .XXX domain is contrary to the interests of the internet community.
The letter was signed by Australian Minister for Communications and the Digital Economy Stephen Conroy, who proposed discussing the issue at the next ICANN Board meeting on October 28. Conroy believes that the creation of such a domain extension is contrary to existing ICANN rules.
Moreover, the Australian authorities are protesting against the domain administrator, the ICM organization, arguing that their protest is based on the need to check this organization for compliance with all ICANN rules and regulations.
The .XXX domain was first discussed back in 2000. Back then, ICM (Internet Content Management Inc.) approached ICANN with a proposal to create a dedicated domain extension for erotic websites. The application was rejected, but domain market participants actively debated the need for such a domain extension. Everyone from congressmen to clergy protested against .XXX.
Earlier this year, ICANN decided to begin registering names in the .XXX zone and appoint ICM as the administrator of the new domain zone. Prior to this, ICANN had rejected proposals to introduce this domain zone three times.
Public opinion polls have shown that users are generally positive about the .XXX domain extension. However, some are unhappy with the emergence of such domain names.
Interestingly, representatives of the porn industry are also protesting the .XXX domain extension, fearing not only the need to register new domains. They believe a dedicated domain extension for erotic sites will simplify their filtering and blocking. On the other hand, simplifying access restrictions to such sites is an additional argument for introducing the .XXX extension, as it's easier to block a specific domain in security settings, for example, on a child's computer, than to use a content filter that could be prone to errors.
The .XXX domain extension was also called the online "red light district." Analysts predicted that this domain extension would become a breeding ground for viruses, while lawyers emphasized that its emergence meant the de facto legalization of pornographic content online.
Again, on the other hand, .XXX could become an official platform for adult websites, and these resources would not interfere with other commercial projects.
The controversy will likely end once the rules for delegating domain names in the .XXX zone become known.
