ICANN tightens norms of domain name registration

Non-profit-making Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) intends to make changes in the rules for registration and service of first level domains, in order to prevent registration of resources, "propagandizing hate to anybody, racism, any kind of discrimination, criminal activities or religious enmity". New rules can be adopted in March during the next meeting of the governing council of ICANN. The set of rules are being elaborated now by specialists of the ICANN Supporting Organization responsible for developing policy for the domain name (GNSO). The proposed rules affect the general zones of Generic Top Level Domain Memorandum of Understanding (gTLD), which at present include .edu, .com and .net. GNSO also proposes to limit the registration of similar in spelling names, and also addresses that "can potentially lead to instability of infrastructure". It is noticeable, that another branch of ICANN, Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) has, but a very obscure definition of a dubious site, causing violation of public order. GAC standards prohibit registration of resources encouraging racism, discrimination, religious hostility, etc. but did not give a precise definition of each of these items. According to the new proposal of ICANN, any member of GAC, which includes, among others, officials from many countries of the world, can prevent the registration of a new resource. According to the executive director of IP Justice Organization Robin Gross, new rules give ICANN an opportunity to decide the fate of resources in the common zones themselves and determine what threatens to public order, and what does not. Gross is a member of the working group Non-Commercial Users Constituency operating with ICANN and suggests another solution: permit the authorities of this or that country to take control over resources on the basis of existing in the country laws. Thus, the role of ICANN would be minimized, says ArsTechnica.