Plans to create a ".xxx" Internet domain that designates an area solely for pornography Web sites have been revived, more than a year after public outcry caused those plans to be put on hold, Computer Business Review reported.
In the fall of 2005, at the direction of the Bush administration, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) halted plans to create the porn-only area and spent months reviewing the terms of a contract for ICM Registry Inc., the Florida-based company seeking the ".xxx" suffix.
In May 2006, Congress voted against legislation that would have mandated such a domain.
Stuart Lawley, president of ICM, said despite years of setbacks, he is confident ICANN will approve ".xxx" very soon.
" 'Are we doing .xxx?' is not up for discussion," he said. "It's 'What are the terms of the contract?' "
While supporters of the idea claim it will make it easier to isolate such subject matter and filter unwanted spam, critics say just the opposite is true.
Daniel Weiss, senior analyst for media and sexuality for Focus on the Family Action, said adding a new domain will double the opportunity for pornographers to spread their smut.
"It makes no sense to create a new domain where more pornography will be available and more likely to be seen by children," he said. "Pornographers will not be required to move or close down their '.com' sites, so they will actually be creating more porn sites online."
To make the claim that an Internet red-light district will protect children is "disingenuous at best and coldly cynical," Weiss added.
"It is crucial for citizens to voice their concerns over the creation of this domain," he said. "I believe the concerns of the average person will go a long way to keeping this from happening."
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Please take a moment to register your concerns about the .xxx domain with ICANN.
