FSC Attends ICANN-GAC Meeting in Brussels

BRUSSELS, Belgium — Monday’s meeting between the ICANN board of directors and the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) primarily consisted of clarification of the items on which the GAC and the board were at odds, as well as agreeing on the process to consider those items.

Some of the issues addressed were ICANN’s proposed introduction of gTLDs (generic top level domains), procedures for reviewing sensitive strings, market and economic impacts and protection of rights-owners.

The GAC’s U.S. representative Suzanne Sene stressed GAC’s concern over the fragmentation of the Internet, which would result if governments begin to block top level domains.

“Government blocking of TLDs is a real concern,” said FSC's Executive Director Diane Duke.

“My counterpart Fiona Patten, executive director of EROS in Australia, told me that Australia would almost certainly block .XXX.”

Other countries that Duke said were likely to block TLDs included Germany, China, and Saudi Arabia. The U.S. government has indicated that it is likely to seek mandates on TLDs.

“It is clear that a .XXX sTLD is not only bad for adult businesses, but also it is bad for the Internet as a whole," Duke said.

Duke spoke with ICANN CEO Rod Beckstrom and legal counsel John Jeffrey about when and where issues concerning .XXX will be formally considered.

“Beckstrom and Jeffrey told me that the board/GAC consultation will take place on March 17, in San Francisco, at the ICANN conference and that the board would address the results from that meeting the next day, at their board meeting,” Duke said.

This week, FSC will publish a series of articles outlining issues surrounding the proposed .XXX sTLD, which will be published in industry trade publications, as well as on the FSC blog.

Related:  

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

FSC Unpacks SCOTUS Age Verification Ruling in Webinar

The Free Speech Coalition conducted a public webinar Tuesday to help adult industry stakeholders understand the Supreme Court’s recent decision in FSC v. Paxton, and its potential implications.

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.

Show More