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House Amendment Would Outlaw "Misleading" Domain Names - On March 27, the House of Representatives approved an amendment to the Child Abduction Prevention Act outlawing the use of "misleading" domain names "with intent to deceive" Internet users into viewing obscenity or, in the case of minors, material "harmful to minors." The amendment, which was inserted by Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) at the last minute, includes penalties of 2-4 years imprisonment. CDT has significant concerns about the potentially-harmful effects of the amendment's "harmful to minors" standard on free expression. CDT also believes that such legislation's collateral effects on the Internet's naming systems should be thoroughly evaluated before being enshrined in law. March 26, 2003
ICANN Approves Plan to Add New Top-Level Domains - At its meeting in Amsterdam December 14-15, ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) gave the go-ahead to a plan to add three new Top-Level Domains to the Internet domain name system. The new domains will be of the "sponsored" type, serving particular communities rather than the whole Internet. Current sponsored domains include ".museum" and ".coop." ICANN is expected to consider unsponsored domains (which currently include ".com" and ".info") only after it has completed review of the seven domains it introduced in 2000. December 18, 2002
Senate Approves Controversial ".kids.us" Internet Domain - On November 13, the Senate approved legislation to require the creation of a new ".kids.us" space within the ".us" Internet domain. The legislation requires that the new domain contain only material suitable for children below the age of 13. CDT and others have raised serious questions about ".kids.us" as increasing government involvement in setting online content standards, and whether the substantial costs of enforcement could be better applied to educating children and families about online safety. October 28, 2002
CDT Publishes Analysis, Suggested Reforms for the Powers and Mission of ICANN - On October 30, at the public meeting of ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) in Shanghai, China, CDT released "Clarifying the Mission and Powers of ICANN: Analysis and Proposed Solutions." The paper examines the current state of ICANN's authorities, particularly in light of soon-to-be-passed reforms, and recommends new approaches to continue clarifying the scope of ICANN's appropriate powers. more October 30, 2002
ICANN Publishes New Draft Bylaws for Upcoming Meeting - On October 3, ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) published a new set of bylaws to restructure the organization from top to bottom. The draft bylaws encompass several major reforms to ICANN, such as a reworking of its structure for stakeholder participation and the creation of new staff positions to facilitate the Internet community's dealings with ICANN. The new bylaws also would move ICANN's "At-Large" community into a purely advisory role. CDT has also raised concerns that the bylaws' proposed "mission statement" inadequately constrains ICANN from taking inappropriate policy actions in the future. ICANN's Board of Directors is expected to vote on the new bylaws at ICANN's upcoming meeting in Shanghai, China, October 27 - November 1. more October 4, 2002
Department of Commerce Renews ICANN's Mandate But Misses Key Components; .kids.us Markup Put On Hold - On September 20 the Department of Commerce published its new Memorandum of Understanding with ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). The new MOU imposes some new tasks on ICANN regarding improved accountability, transparency, and overall security of the Internet's Domain Name System, but fails to provide guidance on what the appropriate limits on ICANN's power should be.
Also, a proposed markup of legislation to mandate creation of a ".kids.us" Internet domain was put on hold amid concerns that the legislation would inappropriately involve the federal government in decisions about Internet content. While CDT believes in the importance of protecting children online, the proposed legislation was likely to raise questions about the appropriateness of government involvement, as well as the effectiveness of such a domain in protecting children. more September 20, 2002
Senate Subcommittee Considers .kids.us Proposal - On September 12 the Senate Subcommittee on Science, Technology, and Space held a hearing on proposed legislation (S. 2537) to mandate the creation of a ".kids.us" Internet domain for child safe material. While CDT agrees that protecting children is a high priority, federally-mandated creation of such a domain would raise more questions than it would answer, and would not lead to safer online experiences for children. In a letter to the Subcommittee CDT urged the consideration of alternate online-safety programs, such as education for children and parents. September 12, 2002
CDT Issues Metrics for Consideration in New .org - In late September, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) will approve the redelegation of the ".org" Internet domain. With over 2 million registrants, many of which are non-commercial in nature, ".org" has plays an important and unique for the Internet community. In a letter to the ICANN Board, CDT urged ICANN to carefully consider the impact of the redelegation and to choose the new ".org" operator with care. more August 30, 2002
ICANN Issues Preliminary Selection of New .org Operator - On August 19, staff at ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) released a preliminary report naming the Internet Society (ISOC) as the new operator of the .org Internet domain. ICANN is the organization responsible for overseeing critical Internet functions such as naming and addressing. Over the past several months, ICANN solicited bids from eleven would-be operators of .org. The August 19 report kicks off a week-long opportunity for public comment (comments should be mailed to org-eval@icann.org), and a final selection from the ICANN Board of Directors is expected in September, with the new operator to assume operation of .org January 1. .org is one of the Internet's most popular domains, with over 2 million registrations. more August 20, 2002
CDT Urges New Provisions in Key ICANN Agreement - In a letter dated August 19, CDT urged officials at the Department of Commerce to insert new provisions that enhance accountability and promote the public interest into the upcoming renewal of Commerce's agreement with ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). ICANN, the private organization that manages Internet naming and other critical functions, is in the midst of restructuring and faces numerous questions and criticism about the scope of its powers, degree of accountability, and overall representativeness. While CDT continues to believe in the benefits of private-sector management of these functions, ICANN has encountered significant problems, and substantive reform is necessary to bolster its credibility and legitimacy before the Internet community.more August 19, 2002
ICANN Board's Reform Plan Has Serious Flaws - Today, as expected, the Directors of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) approved its "Blueprint for Reform" without amendment in Bucharest, Romania. While an improvement on earlier drafts, the current blueprint fails in a number of key areas and is unlikely to promote broader trust in ICANN. In particular, the Blueprint fails to make real progress on critically-important issues such as the lack of limits on ICANN's powers, the basic unaccountability of ICANN for the important decisions it makes, and the lack of real representation of the public interest in the ICANN process. ICANN is the non-profit body that manages critical Internet systems such as the Domain Name System and the IP address hierarchy. June 28, 2002
.Org Bid Process Opens With 11 Contenders - Eleven organizations filed bids to take over operation of the .org top-level domain (TLD) registry, long run by VeriSign under contract iwth the US government. The decision on a new .org registry probably will be made in late Aug. or early Sept., she said. Four bidders outlined their proposals at a roundtable at CDT on June 19. CDT applauds the quality and creativity of the applications and will work with the winning bidder to promote operation of .org in the public interest. June 26, 2002
CDT Testifies on ICANN, Calls For Broad Reform and Limits on Powers - CDT Associate Director Alan Davidson testifies before the Senate Commerce
Committee Subcommittee on Science Wednesday on the need for change at the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). In his testimony, Mr. Davidson called for stronger limits on ICANN's powers, and better accountability to ensure that ICANN acts in the interests of the Internet community. Also testifying at the hearing were representatives from ICANN, the Department of Commerce, and other stakeholders. more June 12, 2002
House Passes .kids Domain Name Bill - The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday May 21 approved a bill to create a kid-focused Internet zone intended to be free of violence, pornography and other adult material. By a vote of 406 to 2, the House approved H.R. 3833, which would set up an area within the ".us" Internet domain containing only Web sites deemed appropriate for children 12 years old and younger. Web sites bearing a ".kids.us" address would have to certify that they do not contain sexually explicit material, hate speech, violence or other material not suitable for minors. Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) said he will introduce similar legislation. May 22, 2002
CDT Urges Mission Limits, Accountability for ICANN - In comments submitted today to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), CDT urged ICANN to endorse a limited mission for itself, enumerating its authority and establishing robust mechanisms of accountability. For several years ICANN, the organization that manges key Internet resources such as naming and numbering, has been criticized for its lack of user representation, openness, and accountability, as well as the risk that its activities could someday extend towards broad policy-setting for the Internet. May 3, 2002
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