Critics of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers' (ICANN's) plan to create hundreds of new generic top-level domains (gTLDs) are likely going to continue closely monitoring the organization now that it is clear that they have been unable to stop or delay the gTLD program.
For example, the Association of National Advertisers plans to continue to lobby for changes to the gTLD program to help prevent its members from being negatively affected. Others, including the U.S. Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration, have called for more stringent rules to prevent possible conflicts of interest among ICANN's board members.
ICANN CEO Rod Beckstrom also has asked the organization's board to improve its conflict of interest rules following revelations that several board members have ties to some companies that stand to benefit from the new gTLD program. Among them is ICANN board chairman Steve Crocker, whose startup company has received funding from Afilias, an organization that offers domain name registry services and is the operator of the .info TLD. Former ICANN chairwoman Esther Dyson believes companies that operate TLDs will make more money from the gTLD program than anyone else.
From National Journal
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Abstracts Copyright © 2012 Information Inc. , Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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