Porn Sites Could Get Own dot XXX (.xxx) Internet Domain

Three years after the idea was rejected by Internet regulators, adult Web sites may now actually get their own Internet domain – .xxx. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has agreed to reconsider its stance on the issue on 12 March, after an earlier decision to allow the domain was reversed as a result of protests from conservative groups in the United States in 2005.

According to the BBC, ICANN’s change of mind is not unconnected with a recent ruling by an arbitration panel of retired judges at the International Centre for Dispute Resolution that their previous resolution to disallow the .xxx domain was inconsistent. If approved, the domain which many experts believe will allow Internet users to filter adult content, could be selling by the end of this year. However, if filtering adult content on the Internet is the main objective for reconsidering the .xxx domain, it is difficult to see how this will be achieved considering the fact that the scheme will only be voluntary and adult sites will still be allowed to use any other domain of their choice.

Talking Point

What kind of impact do you think having an exclusive domain for pornographic Web sites have on the Internet as a whole?