Diverting Traffic On The Web: Trademarks And The First Amendment

What's at the heart of cybersquatting may also be at the heart of free speech on the Internet: the diversion of Internet users looking for plaintiff's web site to defendant's web site. Cybersquatters register domain names to accomplish this, while meta-infringers (as we will call them) use HTML code and search engine optimization techniques. Meta-infringers do this by creating keyword density by using competitor's trademarks and permutations thereof in their website in order to rank higher in the search engine results when someone searches on the competitor's trademarks. more

Life After Afternic: Exclusive Interview With Roger Collins

In a recent interviewed with Roger Collins, president of ProProject and the new owner of Afternic.com, CircleID investigates the logics behind ProProject's strong belief in the domain name secondary market. Once known as a primary domain name auction site, Register.com had purchased Afteric.com in the September of 2000 for $48 million in cash and stock -- 2 years later the site was shut down as money-losing unit until ProProject came along. more

RealNames’ Termination: More Catastrophic than Anticipated!

Microsoft is a special company. By definition, its operating systems and Internet browser are no longer just "applications;" they constitute a platform. They are - for 90 percent of Internet users - the sole interface to all Internet content and services. The browser is its own little monopoly. Such is its dominance that Microsoft has the power of life and death over innovation. more

National Academy of Science and the Domain Name System Controversy

The National Academy of Science (NAS) has been brought into the controversy over the future development of the Internet and its domain name system, a controversy recently fueled by the creation of ICANN. The US Congress under Public Law 105-305 mandated that the NAS undertake a study of the domain name system, which is to include options for its development, and the potential impact of the various alternatives. The $800,000 expenses for the study are to be funded by the National Science Foundation and the US Department of Commerce. more

Do We Need The New Top-level Domains?

After a long and exhaustive process it was finally decided by ICANN to introduce seven new top level domains in December. Well, they are not really introduced yet because the United States Government has the final word and they have not approved of them yet. Did you understand what I just wrote - the United States Government decides what names you can have on the Internet? more

NIS2: Act Now - Practical Solution for Article 28 Successfully Established

With the NIS2 Directive now in effect, a new annex to ICANN contracts offers registries and registrars a practical, flexible path to Article 28 compliance. Early adoption has drawn international praise. more

Starlink’s Role in Last Year’s Los Angeles Fires

During California's devastating 2025 wildfires, Starlink, Tesla, and T-Mobile offered vital emergency connectivity. Their improvised response reveals both the promise of satellite-based disaster aid and the need for formalised coordination with public agencies. more

The Excruciating Slow Rise of DNSSEC: A Dialogue With Roy Arends About Myths, Realities and Hard Lessons

DNSSEC promised to secure DNS with cryptographic proof, yet messy rollouts, outages, and hype backlash ruined its reputation. This piece argues that storytelling and emotions shape adoption as much as specs, and that automation enables a reset. more

Competing With Satellite Cellular: AT&T Sees Little Threat but Niche Appeal Grows

AT&T’s CEO plays down the threat of satellite cellular, citing bandwidth and coverage limits. Yet growing interest in rural and IoT applications suggests the technology could still claim valuable niches in the wireless market. more

African SMEs Are Paying the Price for Global Digital Policy Blind Spots

Global digital policy frameworks often overlook the realities of African SMEs, imposing compliance standards shaped by mature economies and infrastructure, thereby constraining innovation, competitiveness, and inclusion in the digital economy. more

Iran Nears Completion of Internet Kill Switch Amid Protests, Says Iran International

Iran is finalizing a nationwide internet isolation system that would allow authorities to disconnect from the global web, as protests continue and external equipment sources, including Huawei, remain shrouded in secrecy. more

Starlink Update: Expansion, Performance Gains and Network Developments

Starlink expanded to 42 new countries in 2025, added 2.7 million customers, improved network speeds and latency, and continued satellite launches as it nears its first-phase constellation goal of 12,000 satellites. more

Undersea Cables as a Layer of the AI Tech Stack

As AI shifts from experimentation to real-world deployment, its unseen foundation - undersea cables - emerges as a strategic frontier. Their resilience may shape not only infrastructure policy but the outcome of US-China AI competition. more

Nominations Open for 2026 Public Interest Registry (PIR) Board of Directors

The Internet Society is accepting nominations for two seats on the 2026 Board of the Public Interest Registry, the non-profit behind .ORG and other domains serving civil society. Deadline: 30 January 2026. more

Why Starlink is Failing to Pierce Iran’s Total Internet Blackout

Iran's regime has all but nullified, for the most part, Elon Musk's Starlink satellite network using advanced jamming, legal threats, and raids, turning a promising tool for protestors into a cautionary tale of digital authoritarianism. more