[governance] From the Christian Coalition "action alert", 8-20-05

[Milton Mueller]

Note the claim that "Commerce Department Assistant Secretary Gallagher's
agency can veto the decisions of the liberal Internet Corporation for
Assigned Names and Numbers." --MM

======
BUSH ADMINISTRATION PUTS HOLD ON THE PORNOGRAPHIC WEBSITE "XXX"
DOMAIN; FINAL VOTE BY THE INTERNET CORPORATION FOR ASSIGNED NAMES AND
NUMBERS (ICANN) EXPECTED ON SEPT. 15

The Bush Administration acknowledged unprecedented opposition --
according to the "Washington Times" (August 17, 2005) -- to the proposal
of the Internet key oversight agency [Internet Corrporation for Assigned
Names and Numbers (ICANN)], to establish a new "XXX" domain name
designed as a virtual red-light district online.  As a result, Michael
D. Gallagher, assistant secretary for communications and information at
the Department of Commerce, called on ICANN to "ensure the best
interests of the Internet community as a whole are fully considered." 
The department received thousands and thousands of letters and emails
expressing outrage about the impact of pornography on families and
children and objecting to setting aside a domain suffix for it.  
Mr. Gallagher described the volume of correspondence from outraged
parents and other concerned citizens as "unprecedented".  Even the
Chairman of the ICANN's Government Advisory Committee, Mohd Sharil
Tarmizi, last week urged the ICANN to delay and said that many countries
expressed "a strong sense of discomfort".  Commerce Department Assistant
Secretary Gallagher's agency can veto the decisions of the liberal
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.  

The online pornography industry earns a whopping $12 billion in
revenues and if a new "XXX" domain is allowed for them, these earnings
are expected to increase exponentially.  The pornographers will simply
keep their existing ".com" sites and establish new sites in the new
"XXX" domain name, reducing the effectiveness of any software filters
set up to simply block all "XXX" names.  Please call President George W.
Bush's representative at the Commerce Department, Assistant Secretary
Michael D. Gallagher, at 202-482-2112, and urge him to VETO any Vote by
the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers in favor of
setting up the "XXX" pornographic domain site. 


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