.xxx approval a positive sign

ICM Registry Inc., which has proposed to become the registry for two new top level domain names -- .xxx and .kids -- announced today the endorsement by representatives of a leading watchdog group and adult content providers of its concept to shield children from adult Web content by creating virtual red-light and green-light districts on the Internet.

ICM Registry submitted its proposal to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) on Oct. 2 as part of the ICANN process of seeking registries for new domain names to expand the selection of top level domains (TLDs) beyond the current .com, .net and .org. The proposal also outlined the ICM plan to establish .kids as a not-for-profit domain and provide financing to develop research on kid-friendly programming and means of protecting children from exposure to adult-oriented content.

"The new domains are a viable alternative to mandatory filtering of any kind," said Michael Palage, chief policy officer of ICM Registry. "These TLDs would allow parents, schools and libraries to automatically identify and filter access to the Internet's .xxx red-light district, a logical step that is now supported both by organizations seeking to protect children and adult content providers. At the same time, the .kids domain would be the green-light area with safe sites for children under the age of 12 that focus on education, entertainment, community organizations and services."

With community groups and politicians demanding a resolution that balances rights and freedoms, the use of .xxx and .kids is a way of distinguishing child-friendly from adult-oriented material.

"Almost 35 percent of Internet traffic features adult-oriented material and our proposal will preserve the Internet as a key medium for consumer choice and the free exchange of ideas," said Palage, an attorney who has been active in Internet affairs since 1995 and currently serves as co-chairman of the ICANN Working Group B, which is involved with policies on safeguarding trademarks on the Domain Name System.

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