Internet regulator nixes .xxx domain for adult sites

0 Comments | AFP, May, 2006

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The Internet's regulatory body has rejected a new ".xxx" domain that would create a red-light district in cyberspace after heated protests, including from the adult entertainment industry.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) board voted late Wednesday 9-5 against the plan after "much public comment and detailed discussion," according to an ICANN statement.

The announcement marks a reversal from a year ago, when ICANN opened technical discussions for the new top-level domain with the .xxx extension, for what was billed as a self-regulated, adult-themed area of cyberspace.

The proposal, which backers said could protect children from online pornography by creating an identifiable area of cyberspace, sparked intense...