FSC’s Duke Faces Off With ICM’s Lawley, Feminist Susan Cole

TORONTO — This morning’s radio debate between Free Speech Coalition Executive Director Diane Duke, ICM Registry CEO Stuart Lawley and Canadian feminist Susan Cole, the senior entertainment editor for Canada’s Now magazine, over .XXX is available now on the FSC’s Duke Faces Off With ICM’s Lawley, Feminist Susan Cole on the CBC website.

The debate, which took place this morning, was moderated by Piya Chattopadhyay for Canada's national public broadcasting show The Current. The debate explored .XXX from three angles: that of ICM as the sTLD applicant, the adult entertainment industry as the targeted sponsorship community, and from a feminist perspective on the societal impact.

In the interview, Lawley said .XXX would be a TLD for the “responsible” adult community and insisted that the top-level domain would result in its prosperity. Nevertheless, Lawley also noted that through the venture, ICM would rake in between $30 million and $150 million a year.

Duke responded by voicing the concerns of the adult entertainment community, including making them an easy target for anti-adult extremists and forcing adult companies to register domain names in order to protect their brand and traffic.

Duke acknowledged an option to pay a one-time fee to park a domain and thus, protect a brand, however expressed concern over fluctuating prices.

“In our initial discussions Stuart talked about a price of $25," she said. "Monday, I read somewhere that the price was between $50 and $250. And by Tuesday, a reporter I spoke with said that it was up to $275.”

When asked her opinion on mandated .XXX TLDs, Cole sided with ICM with the belief that Internet surfers should be protected from stumbling upon adult content.

The interview podcast can be heard on the CBC website.

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

UK Lawmaker Calls for Appointment of 'Porn Minister'

Baroness Gabrielle Bertin, the Conservative member of Parliament who recently convened a new anti-pornography task force, is calling for the appointment of a “minister for porn,” according to British news outlet The Guardian.

FSC Toasts Jeffrey Douglas for 30 Years of Service

n the very same evening when the adult industry was hit hard by the Supreme Court ruling supporting Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181, members of the Free Speech Coalition board, staff and supporters gathered to celebrate Jeffrey Douglas’ 30 years as board chair — a fitting reflection of his reputation as an eternal optimist.

TTS Opens UK Testing Location

Talent Testing Service (TTS) has opened a new U.K. location in Ware, Hertfordshire.

FSC: Age-Verification Laws Go Into Effect South Dakota, Georgia, Wyoming on July 1

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has published a statement regarding new age verification laws set to go into effect tomorrow in South Dakota, Georgia, and Wyoming.

FSC Responds to Supreme Court Decision on Texas AV Law

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has released a statement responding to last week's Supreme Court decision on FSC v. Paxton, the Texas age verification law.

Sex Work CEO Debuts Upgraded 'GPTease' AI Assistant

Sex Work CEO has introduced the new Canvas in-chat editing feature to its AI-powered, NSFW text generator, GPTease.

UPDATED: Supreme Court Rules Against Adult Industry in Pivotal Texas AV Case

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday issued its decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, striking a blow against the online adult industry by ruling in support of Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181.

North Carolina Passes Extreme Bill Targeting Adult Sites

The North Carolina state legislature this week ratified a bill that would impose new regulations that industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most adult creators and content.

Supreme Court Ruling Due Friday in FSC v. Paxton AV Case

The U.S. Supreme Court will rule on Friday in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, the adult industry trade association's challenge to Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181.

Ofcom: More Porn Providers Commit to Age Assurance Measures

A number of adult content providers operating in the U.K. have confirmed that they plan to introduce age checks in compliance with the Online Safety Act by the July 25 deadline, according to U.K. media regulator Ofcom.

Show More