ICANN's new gTLD program recently achieved a significant milestone. On March 6, it officially surpassed the duration of NASA's Apollo Program, which successfully landed twelve humans on the moon. This achievement was measured from the 2012 application window.



However, following ICANN 76 last week, some members of the community seem cautiously optimistic that the era of a stagnant and bureaucratic ICANN may finally be coming to an end under its new leadership.

As I reported earlier this year, as of January 2022, ICANN had not implemented any policies for over five years, and there seemed to be little progress in actually getting things done.

This sentiment was echoed during an open-mic session in Cancun, where Jordyn Buchanan, a 20-year community member representing Google, spoke up. Having taken a five-year break from the ICANN process, Buchanan expressed disappointment at the lack of substantive progress made in recent years, or even over the past decade.

Buchanan provided several examples, particularly highlighting the prolonged delay in the new gTLD program. He emphasized the need for ICANN to be more responsive and agile in keeping up with technological changes.

The only area where any progress has been made, according to Buchanan, is Whois, and that progress was primarily due to European Union legislation.

Chris Chapman, a board member attending his first full ICANN meeting in his role, responded positively to the feedback. He acknowledged the need for more efficient, effective, and timely deliverables within ICANN.

Throughout the week, directors including interim CEO Sally Costerton and chair Tripti Sinha expressed similar sentiments, referring to an "inflection point" for the institution. ICANN faces increasing pressures from governments and external forces.

These expressions were met with encouragement from some members of the community.

At the conclusion of the Cancun meeting, the GNSO Council decided to send a letter to Sinha and Costerton, acknowledging the noticeable change in attitude towards "getting things done." They expressed support for this spirit of pragmatism and urged ICANN to continue on the same path.

During the stakeholder bilaterals held by ICANN's board, questions were raised about how ICANN can become more agile, particularly through the use of small teams to address specific policy issues. This approach has already been successfully implemented in areas such as DNS abuse.

Community members also voiced their dissatisfaction with the slow Operational Design Assessments (ODAs) that have delayed Whois reform and the new gTLD program. They suggested that future ODAs should run parallel to the Policy Development Processes they are meant to evaluate.

It appears that ICANN's new leadership used ICANN 76 as an opportunity to convey their intentions and gain community support for their program.

The question remains whether this initial burst of energy will result in real change or gradually dissipate under the weight of accumulated bureaucracy, institutional lethargy, and personal conflicts over the course of the organization's 25-year history.

However, it is important to note that finding solutions within ICANN should not be as complicated as rocket science.

The New gTLD Program was launched in 2012 and aimed to enhance competition, innovation, and choice in the domain name market. It opened up opportunities for organizations and individuals to apply for and operate new gTLDs, such as .app, .blog, .music, or even branded domain extensions like .google or .amazon.

To apply for a new gTLD, applicants had to go through a rigorous evaluation process with defined criteria, including technical, operational, financial, and policy aspects. The application fees were substantial, and applicants had to demonstrate their capabilities to run a registry effectively.

The program faced significant challenges and controversies during its implementation, including concerns about trademark infringement, potential abuse of new gTLDs for malicious purposes, and the potential impact on existing domain name registries and registrars.

Despite these challenges, the New gTLD Program resulted in the introduction of hundreds of new gTLDs, significantly expanding the options available for domain name registration. It has brought about diversity and increased competition in the domain name industry, allowing organizations to find more relevant and specific domain names for their online presence.

ICANN continues to oversee and regulate the new gTLD space, ensuring compliance with policies, managing disputes, and monitoring the overall stability and security of the domain name system.

additional details about ICANN's New gTLD Program:

1. Application Process: Applicants were required to submit a detailed application that included information about their proposed gTLD, their technical and operational capabilities, financial resources, and plans for managing and operating the registry. The application fee was set at $185,000 per application.

2. Evaluation: Applications underwent a comprehensive evaluation process conducted by independent evaluators hired by ICANN. This evaluation covered various aspects such as applicant background checks, technical evaluations, financial evaluations, and geographic names evaluations.

3. Objections and Disputes: The program allowed for various objection mechanisms to address concerns from interested parties. Objectors could file formal objections based on criteria like trademark infringement, community rights, or public interest. Dispute resolution procedures were also available to handle conflicts between applicants or objections.

4. Community-Based TLDs: The program introduced a category of community-based top-level domains (Community gTLDs). These TLDs were intended for specific communities, such as cultural, linguistic, religious, or professional communities, and required applicants to demonstrate their association with and support from the relevant community.

5. Auctions: In cases where multiple applicants sought the same or similar gTLD strings, ICANN facilitated auctions or other resolution methods to determine the successful applicant.

6. Registry Operator Responsibilities: Successful applicants became registry operators and were responsible for managing and operating the gTLDs they were awarded. They had to comply with ICANN's policies and contractual obligations and ensure the stable and secure operation of their respective registries.

7. Ongoing Maintenance and Policy Development: ICANN continues to oversee the new gTLD space, working to develop and refine policies related to the introduction, management, and operation of these gTLDs. It also handles ongoing maintenance activities, including updates to the DNS root zone.

and:

1. Introduction of IDN gTLDs: The program allowed for the introduction of Internationalized Domain Name (IDN) gTLDs. These are domain names that use characters from non-ASCII scripts, enabling a broader representation of languages and cultures on the internet.

2. Evaluation Criteria: Applicants were required to meet specific criteria during the evaluation process. These included technical and operational capability, financial stability, compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and the absence of any potential negative impact on the integrity and security of the DNS.

3. Public Comment and Objection Period: During the application phase, there was a public comment period wherein interested parties could provide input and feedback on proposed gTLD applications. Additionally, there was an objection period where third parties could raise objections based on various grounds, such as legal rights, morality, public order, or community opposition.

4. Registry Agreements: Successful applicants entered into registry agreements with ICANN, which outlined the terms and conditions for operating the new gTLD. These agreements covered areas like technical requirements, data escrow, financial provisions, rights protection mechanisms, and compliance obligations.

5. Rights Protection Mechanisms: The program introduced several rights protection mechanisms to safeguard the intellectual property rights and mitigate potential abuse of new gTLDs. These mechanisms included the Trademark Clearinghouse, Uniform Rapid Suspension, and the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy.

6. Continual Evaluation and Monitoring: ICANN continues to evaluate and monitor the performance of new gTLDs and their operators to ensure ongoing compliance with contractual obligations and policies. This includes regular reporting, audits, and addressing any potential issues or concerns that may arise.

7. Industry and Stakeholder Engagement: ICANN actively engages with various stakeholders, including the domain name industry, business and trade associations, governments, and civil society, to gather feedback, address concerns, and develop policies that support the effective operation of the new gTLD space.