Cloud Innovation's reappearance in AFRINIC's Mauritian membership register raises questions about governance, judicial oversight and institutional independence. The author calls for transparent records, scrutiny of conflicts of interest and an orderly end to receivership. more
Only 21 internationalized domain name applications were submitted in ICANN's 2026 new gTLD round, raising government concerns about linguistic diversity and the accessibility of the domain expansion program. more
ICANN has appointed three independent objectors for the 2026 new-gTLD round, establishing a mechanism to challenge applications on public-interest and community grounds, with safeguards against institutional interference. more
ICANN has approved most of its new internationalized country-code domain policy, rejecting provisions for additional risk assessments of confusingly similar strings. Implementation and bylaw amendments remain pending. more
ICANN's Reveal Day list holds 263 contention sets. With private deals banned this round, any set that reaches an ICANN auction will end in a public price. The 2012 auctions show why the number of bidders is a weak guide to that price. more
ICANN87 in Bali brings DNS abuse mitigation, registrant protections and the next gTLD round into focus as policymakers examine implementation challenges affecting domain registries, registrars and Internet users. more
A Seychelles company controlled by Lu Heng accounts for 10 of Africa's 16 new gTLD applications, linking ICANN's domain expansion to commercial interests and an ongoing dispute over AFRINIC's governance and IPv4 resources. more
ICANN has appointed PwC to conduct mandatory background screening for the 2026 new gTLD round, raising questions about cross-border applicant data handling and procedures for challenging adverse findings. more
ICANN's 2026 new gTLD objection process presents applicants and rights holders with four distinct mechanisms for challenging proposed strings, each carrying different legal standards, evidentiary requirements and consequences for delegation. more
ICANN's Board will review milestones for the 2026 new gTLD round, root server governance reforms and preparations for international Internet governance meetings, with key implementation questions remaining unresolved. more
ICANN has opened a consultation on security requirements for automated DNSSEC Delegation Signer record management, seeking input on safeguards that could enable faster registry approvals while protecting DNSSEC validation and operational stability. more
ICANN's 2026 new gTLD round attracted 1,615 applications, with competition concentrated on contested extensions. Strong registration growth contrasts with weak renewal rates, raising questions about long-term demand and commercial viability. more
ICANN's 2026 new gTLD applications reveal a shift toward AI agents, developer infrastructure and digital trust, with .agent replacing .app as the most contested string amid growing competition and persistent geographic disparities. more
ICANN's 2026 new gTLD round attracted 333 dotBrand applications, representing 20.6% of submissions. Participation across major industries reflects growing interest in controlling branded namespaces and strengthening enterprise digital identity. more
A Trump-affiliated company has applied to operate the .trump top-level domain in ICANN's 2026 expansion round, seeking a dedicated Internet namespace for Trump-branded businesses rather than public domain registrations. more