ICANN Moves Forward With .XXX Proposal

BRUSSELS, Belgium — ICANN’s board of directors voted Friday morning to move forward with ICM Registry’s .XXX proposal.

ICANN gave conditional approval to .XXX, the controversial sponsored top-level Internet domain, 10 years after it was first proposed by ICM Registry’s Stuart Lawley.

The decision was met by great apprehension by some board members, which still have to officially approve ICM’s application after a governmental advisory committee consultation is completed.

“At the end of the day we all faced the fact that sometimes we have to make the tough decisions, and I think this is very difficult,” ICANN board member Katim Touray said.

ICM Registry so far has spent $9.3 million on the initiative, which has faced outcry from some members of the online adult industry. It also faced an enormous letter-writing campaigns orchestrated by some groups in the Religious Right.

ICM Registry's proposal would make it the gatekeeper for the sTLD, requiring it to monitor registrant compliance with content site-labeling requirements.

.XXX would be dedicated exclusively to adult content and could be used by some states as a means to force all unwanted or illegal content to migrate to that sTLD that could then be easily monitored or filtered.

ICM’s plan also would require a set of “best practices” to protect children online and fund the International Foundation for Online Responsibility, an independent organization ICM has said it would create if approved.

ICM pledges to donate $10 of the proposed annual fee of $60 for a .XXX domain name to child-protection groups and require users of .XXX to label their content. ICM said it hasn’t planned any volume discounts, but that it would “listen to the community.”

ICM first proposed the .XXX domain in 2000, and ICANN has rejected it three times already since then.

"It's been a long time coming, and I'm excited about the fact that .XXX will soon become a reality," Lawley said Friday. "This is great news."

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Jade Kimiko, Cecelia Taylor Headline 'Women Seeking Women 199'

Jade Kimiko and Cecelia Taylor topline “Women Seeking Women 199” from Girlfriends Films.

Adult Industry Educational, Networking Platform 'Imperfectly You' Launches

Imperfectly You, an educational and networking platform for adult industry workers, has officially launched.

Segpay to Launch News Network for High-Risk Merchants

Segpay has announced that it will launch the Segpay News Network (SNN) on April 15.

Age Verification Watch: Patching the Holes

This roundup provides an update on the latest news and developments on the age verification front as it impacts the adult industry.

Kaela Luna Makes Her TransAngels Debut

Kaela Luna has made her TransAngles debut alongside Parker Savage and Harrison Feels in “Jackhammering Kaela.”

Adult Time Marks April Fool's Day With 5 Satirical Releases

Adult Time is marking April Fool’s Day with the release of satirical scenes from five of its series.

Pineapple Support to Host Autism Spectrum Support Group

Pineapple Support is hosting a free online support group for performers and creators who are, or suspect they may be, on the autism spectrum.

Adult Time Wraps Production on Bree Mills' Feature 'Escape From Camp Conversion'

Adult Time has wrapped production on its latest feature, the Bree Mills-helmed "Escape From Camp Conversion," from its Girlcore studio brand.

Daisy Fox Makes Her TeamSkeet Debut

Daisy Fox makes her TeamSkeet debut in the latest episode of the studio series "She's New," titled "A Foxy Little Newcomer," with Nicky Rebel.

Elizabeth Skylar Performs Her 1st B/B/G in Latest From New Sensations

Elizabeth Skylar has performed her first B/B/G in the latest scene from New Sensations, with Codey Steele and Milan Ponjevic.

Show More