The NetMission Academy Session 7 on ICANN Policies kicked off with an introduction by Qurra Tul Ain Nisar and Bea Guevarra on February 15, 2024. Two distinguished speakers were invited to share their insights with our fellows. They are:
- Dennis Tan (Co-Chair of RySG DNS Abuse working group)
- Dmitry Kuznetsov (NetMission Advisory Board Member)
The session commenced with the Netmission buddies providing a concise introduction to ICANN and its policy framework. They outlined the three core entities within ICANN: the ICANN Board, ICANN Organization, and ICANN Communities.
Which serve as vital platforms for global discussions on Internet governance, DNS stability, security, and policy development Additionally, they elaborated on the Advisory Committees of ICANN, which encompass multi-stakeholder groups representing diverse backgrounds from the private sector, government, academia, and technical fields. These Committees include RSSAC, GAC, ALAC, and SSAC. The buddies also covered the Address Supporting Organization and detailed the three annual ICANN meetings: Community, Policy, and Annual General Meetings. They encouraged interested individuals to participate in the fellowship program for further information, accessible via the link provided.
Furthermore, the buddies explained the concept of DNS and ICANN’s pivotal role in managing names and numbers, while also maintaining a balance among various policies and reforms. They elucidated the various types of top-level domains (TLDs), including generic TLDs, sponsored TLDs, unsponsored TLDs, country code TLDs, and internationalized domain names (IDNs). They emphasized the importance of DNS (Domain Name System) as the “phone book” of the Internet, facilitating the translation of domain names into IP addresses for efficient communication between devices and servers. Overall, the presentation effectively conveyed essential information about ICANN, aimed at promoting innovation and enhancing consumer choice on the Internet by introducing new top-level domains. and ICANN policies within a limited timeframe.
Speakers’ Sharing
Our first speaker, Dennis Tan, delved into the session’s focal points, providing insights on DNS Abuse, gTLDs, and ICANN’s role in addressing these issues. He elucidated the concept of DNS Abuse, delineating its various forms such as phishing and malware botnets, while also clarifying what falls outside this category. He then delved into the roles and responsibilities of different players in managing abuse. Furthermore, he underscored the crucial roles and responsibilities of Registries and Registrars in combating DNS Abuse. Tan highlighted successful negotiations with ICANN to enhance mitigation measures by all parties, emphasizing the importance of ongoing dialogue within the community.
Following suit, Dmitry Kuznetsov emphasized the intersection of DNS Abuse and gTLDs.He shed light on the New gTLD program and its implications. By expanding gTLDs, like “.com” or “.org” and its potential to boost entrepreneurship, brand control, and community engagement. One key aspect is the Community Priority Evaluation (CPE) process. Defining “community” within the program and addressing potential objections during application are critical challenges. Other types of objections include string confusion, legal rights, and limited public interest. He elucidated the relationship between TLDs and ccTLDs, shedding light on their operational dynamics. Kuznetsov noted the significant growth in gTLDs since 2012, highlighting the benefits and outcomes of gTLD programs. Additionally, he addressed key objections within the program and proposed future steps to enhance the gTLD landscape.He encourages critical analysis of community-based application criteria and suggests exploring relevant research on domain regulation and Internet governance history.
Q&A session
During the session, ambassadors were given the floor during the Q&A session to pose questions regarding various topics, including the ICANN policy process, ICANN’s role in addressing DNS Abuse, the potential role of ccTLDs, and the significance of gTLDs in the evolving digital landscape. One question that sparked a particularly engaging discussion among ambassadors was about
“Handling DNS abuse isn’t just ICANN’s responsibility. ICANN mainly deals with managing internet names and numbers, but combating abuse, like someone trying to imitate “reebok.com” with “reeb0k.com,” requires broader efforts beyond ICANN’s scope. Can the speakers please elaborate on what can be done from this perspective?” The ambassadors came out into discussion on this, some suggested that it should be handled by RIR, some suggested going with national initiatives or functions like TLDs should be reconsidered et cetera. The speakers explained what in reference to things like this can be handled by ICANN or what can’t be.
Breakout Group Discussion Summary
Following the Q&A session, participants engaged in breakout group discussions where they proposed new gTLDs. Each group presented various options, such as .peace, .grassroot, .teen, .netgov, .igov, .matter, and .shop, accompanied by well-crafted justifications for their necessity. Despite the session’s brevity, it served as a valuable platform for sharing insights on ICANN policy, DNS Abuse, and gTLDs among participants and speakers alike. The session concluded on an informative, engaging, and enlightening note, providing participants with a clear path forward.
- Breakout Group #1:
The group discussed potential new gTLDs such as “.teen” and “.grassroots” to cater to specific communities and promote digital inclusion. They explored content considerations and public interest commitments for these domains, aiming to provide age-appropriate content for teenagers while ensuring accessibility for grassroots communities.
- Breakout Group #2:
This group brainstormed new gTLDs like “.greenhub”, “.greentech”, “.learn”, and “.genz” to promote climate change initiatives, education, and youth engagement. They also proposed domains like “.equal”,”.peaceforall”, and “.humanity” for NGOs advocating social equity.
- Breakout Group #3:
Participants discussed gTLDs like “.ecosustain”,”.legal”, “.meta”, “.sos”, “.str”, “.shop”, “.nex”, “.peopleorg”, and “.startup”, each targeting specific areas such as ecological sustainability, metaverse-related projects, emergency information, streaming platforms, e-commerce, emerging issues, people-led initiatives, and startups.
Written by Barkha Manral, Hamza Ahmad, and Nimrah Perveen (Edited by Jenna Manhau Fung)