<s>
The	O
Internet	B-Application
Corporation	I-Application
for	I-Application
Assigned	I-Application
Names	I-Application
and	I-Application
Numbers	I-Application
(	O
ICANN	B-Application
)	O
is	O
an	O
American	O
multistakeholder	O
group	O
and	O
nonprofit	O
organization	O
responsible	O
for	O
coordinating	O
the	O
maintenance	O
and	O
procedures	O
of	O
several	O
databases	O
related	O
to	O
the	O
namespaces	O
and	O
numerical	O
spaces	O
of	O
the	O
Internet	O
,	O
ensuring	O
the	O
network	O
's	O
stable	O
and	O
secure	O
operation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ICANN	B-Application
performs	O
the	O
actual	O
technical	O
maintenance	O
work	O
of	O
the	O
Central	O
Internet	O
Address	O
pools	O
and	O
DNS	B-Protocol
root	I-Protocol
zone	I-Protocol
registries	O
pursuant	O
to	O
the	O
Internet	O
Assigned	O
Numbers	O
Authority	O
(	O
IANA	O
)	O
function	O
contract	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
contract	O
regarding	O
the	O
IANA	O
stewardship	O
functions	O
between	O
ICANN	B-Application
and	O
the	O
National	O
Telecommunications	O
and	O
Information	O
Administration	O
(	O
NTIA	O
)	O
of	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
Department	O
of	O
Commerce	O
ended	O
on	O
October	O
1	O
,	O
2016	O
,	O
formally	O
transitioning	O
the	O
functions	O
to	O
the	O
global	O
multistakeholder	O
community	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Much	O
of	O
its	O
work	O
has	O
concerned	O
the	O
Internet	O
's	O
global	O
Domain	B-Protocol
Name	I-Protocol
System	I-Protocol
(	O
DNS	B-Protocol
)	O
,	O
including	O
policy	O
development	O
for	O
internationalization	O
of	O
the	O
DNS	B-Protocol
,	O
introduction	O
of	O
new	O
generic	O
top-level	O
domains	O
(	O
TLDs	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
operation	O
of	O
root	B-Application
name	I-Application
servers	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
numbering	O
facilities	O
ICANN	B-Application
manages	O
include	O
the	O
Internet	B-Protocol
Protocol	I-Protocol
address	O
spaces	O
for	O
IPv4	B-Protocol
and	O
IPv6	B-Protocol
,	O
and	O
assignment	O
of	O
address	O
blocks	O
to	O
regional	O
Internet	O
registries	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ICANN	B-Application
also	O
maintains	O
registries	O
of	O
Internet	B-Protocol
Protocol	I-Protocol
identifiers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ICANN	B-Application
's	O
primary	O
principles	O
of	O
operation	O
have	O
been	O
described	O
as	O
helping	O
preserve	O
the	O
operational	O
stability	O
of	O
the	O
Internet	O
;	O
to	O
promote	O
competition	O
;	O
to	O
achieve	O
broad	O
representation	O
of	O
the	O
global	O
Internet	O
community	O
;	O
and	O
to	O
develop	O
policies	O
appropriate	O
to	O
its	O
mission	O
through	O
bottom-up	O
,	O
consensus-based	O
processes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ICANN	B-Application
's	O
creation	O
was	O
announced	O
publicly	O
on	O
September	O
17	O
,	O
1998	O
,	O
and	O
it	O
formally	O
came	O
into	O
being	O
on	O
January	O
15	O
,	O
1997	O
,	O
incorporated	O
in	O
the	O
U.S.	O
state	O
of	O
California	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Before	O
the	O
establishment	O
of	O
ICANN	B-Application
,	O
the	O
IANA	O
function	O
of	O
administering	O
registries	O
of	O
Internet	B-Protocol
protocol	I-Protocol
identifiers	O
(	O
including	O
the	O
distributing	O
top-level	O
domains	O
and	O
IP	O
addresses	O
)	O
was	O
performed	O
by	O
Jon	O
Postel	O
,	O
a	O
Computer	O
Science	O
researcher	O
who	O
had	O
been	O
involved	O
in	O
the	O
creation	O
of	O
ARPANET	O
,	O
first	O
at	O
UCLA	O
and	O
then	O
at	O
USC-ISI	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Information	O
Sciences	O
Institute	O
was	O
funded	O
by	O
the	O
U.S.	O
Department	O
of	O
Defense	O
,	O
as	O
was	O
SRI	O
International	O
's	O
Network	B-Protocol
Information	I-Protocol
Center	I-Protocol
,	O
which	O
also	O
performed	O
some	O
assigned	O
name	O
functions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Green	O
Paper	O
proposed	O
for	O
discussion	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
issues	O
relating	O
to	O
DNS	B-Protocol
management	O
including	O
private	O
sector	O
creation	O
of	O
a	O
new	O
not-for-profit	O
corporation	O
(	O
the	O
"	O
new	O
corporation	O
"	O
)	O
managed	O
by	O
a	O
globally	O
and	O
functionally	O
representative	O
board	O
of	O
directors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ICANN	B-Application
was	O
formed	O
in	O
response	O
to	O
this	O
policy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ICANN	B-Application
managed	O
the	O
Internet	O
Assigned	O
Numbers	O
Authority	O
(	O
IANA	O
)	O
under	O
contract	O
to	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
Department	O
of	O
Commerce	O
(	O
DOC	O
)	O
and	O
pursuant	O
to	O
an	O
agreement	O
with	O
the	O
IETF	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ICANN	B-Application
was	O
incorporated	O
in	O
California	O
on	O
September	O
30	O
,	O
1998	O
,	O
with	O
entrepreneur	O
and	O
philanthropist	O
Esther	O
Dyson	O
as	O
founding	O
chairwoman	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ICANN	B-Application
was	O
established	O
in	O
California	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
presence	O
of	O
Jon	O
Postel	O
,	O
who	O
was	O
a	O
founder	O
of	O
ICANN	B-Application
and	O
was	O
set	O
to	O
be	O
its	O
first	O
Chief	O
Technology	O
Officer	O
prior	O
to	O
his	O
unexpected	O
death	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ICANN	B-Application
formerly	O
operated	O
from	O
the	O
same	O
Marina	O
del	O
Rey	O
building	O
where	O
Postel	O
formerly	O
worked	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
home	O
to	O
an	O
office	O
of	O
the	O
Information	O
Sciences	O
Institute	O
at	O
the	O
University	O
of	O
Southern	O
California	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
ICANN	B-Application
's	O
headquarters	O
is	O
now	O
located	O
in	O
the	O
nearby	O
Playa	O
Vista	O
neighborhood	O
of	O
Los	O
Angeles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Per	O
its	O
original	O
by-laws	O
,	O
primary	O
responsibility	O
for	O
policy	O
formation	O
in	O
ICANN	B-Application
was	O
to	O
be	O
delegated	O
to	O
three	O
supporting	O
organizations	O
(	O
Address	O
Supporting	O
Organization	O
,	O
Domain	O
Name	O
Supporting	O
Organization	O
,	O
and	O
Protocol	B-Application
Supporting	I-Application
Organization	I-Application
)	O
,	O
each	O
of	O
which	O
was	O
to	O
develop	O
and	O
recommend	O
substantive	O
policies	O
and	O
procedures	O
for	O
the	O
management	O
of	O
the	O
identifiers	O
within	O
their	O
respective	O
scope	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
were	O
also	O
required	O
to	O
be	O
financially	O
independent	O
from	O
ICANN	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
expected	O
,	O
the	O
regional	O
Internet	O
registries	O
and	O
the	O
IETF	O
agreed	O
to	O
serve	O
as	O
the	O
Address	O
Supporting	O
Organization	O
and	O
Protocol	B-Application
Supporting	I-Application
Organization	I-Application
respectively	O
,	O
and	O
ICANN	B-Application
issued	O
a	O
call	O
for	O
interested	O
parties	O
to	O
propose	O
the	O
structure	O
and	O
composition	O
of	O
the	O
Domain	O
Name	O
Supporting	O
Organization	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
March	O
1999	O
,	O
the	O
ICANN	B-Application
Board	O
,	O
based	O
in	O
part	O
on	O
the	O
DNSO	O
proposals	O
received	O
,	O
decided	O
instead	O
on	O
an	O
alternate	O
construction	O
for	O
the	O
DNSO	O
which	O
delineated	O
specific	O
constituencies	O
bodies	O
within	O
ICANN	B-Application
itself	O
,	O
thus	O
adding	O
primary	O
responsibility	O
for	O
DNS	B-Protocol
policy	O
development	O
to	O
ICANN	B-Application
's	O
existing	O
duties	O
of	O
oversight	O
and	O
coordination	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
July	O
26	O
,	O
2006	O
,	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
government	O
renewed	O
the	O
contract	O
with	O
ICANN	B-Application
for	O
performance	O
of	O
the	O
IANA	O
function	O
for	O
an	O
additional	O
one	O
to	O
five	O
years	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
context	O
of	O
ICANN	B-Application
's	O
relationship	O
with	O
the	O
U.S.	O
government	O
was	O
clarified	O
on	O
September	O
29	O
,	O
2006	O
,	O
when	O
ICANN	B-Application
signed	O
a	O
new	O
memorandum	O
of	O
understanding	O
with	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
Department	O
of	O
Commerce	O
(	O
DOC	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
document	O
gave	O
the	O
DOC	O
oversight	O
over	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
ICANN	B-Application
operations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
July	O
2008	O
,	O
the	O
DOC	O
reiterated	O
an	O
earlier	O
statement	O
that	O
it	O
has	O
"	O
no	O
plans	O
to	O
transition	O
management	O
of	O
the	O
authoritative	O
root	O
zone	O
file	O
to	O
ICANN	B-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
letter	O
also	O
stresses	O
the	O
separate	O
roles	O
of	O
the	O
IANA	O
and	O
VeriSign	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
September	O
30	O
,	O
2009	O
,	O
ICANN	B-Application
signed	O
an	O
agreement	O
with	O
the	O
DOC	O
(	O
known	O
as	O
the	O
"	O
Affirmation	O
of	O
Commitments	O
"	O
)	O
that	O
confirmed	O
ICANN	B-Application
's	O
commitment	O
to	O
a	O
multistakeholder	O
governance	O
model	O
,	O
but	O
did	O
not	O
remove	O
it	O
from	O
DOC	O
oversight	O
and	O
control	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
March	O
10	O
,	O
2016	O
,	O
ICANN	B-Application
and	O
the	O
DOC	O
signed	O
a	O
historic	O
,	O
culminating	O
agreement	O
to	O
finally	O
remove	O
ICANN	B-Application
and	O
IANA	O
from	O
the	O
control	O
and	O
oversight	O
of	O
the	O
DOC	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
October	O
1	O
,	O
2016	O
,	O
ICANN	B-Application
was	O
freed	O
from	O
U.S.	O
government	O
oversight	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
its	O
creation	O
,	O
ICANN	B-Application
has	O
been	O
the	O
subject	O
of	O
criticism	O
and	O
controversy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2000	O
,	O
professor	O
Michael	O
Froomkin	O
of	O
the	O
University	O
of	O
Miami	O
School	O
of	O
Law	O
argued	O
that	O
ICANN	B-Application
's	O
relationship	O
with	O
the	O
U.S.	O
Department	O
of	O
Commerce	O
is	O
illegal	O
,	O
in	O
violation	O
of	O
either	O
the	O
Constitution	O
or	O
federal	O
statutes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
March	O
18	O
,	O
2002	O
,	O
publicly	O
elected	O
At-Large	O
Representative	O
for	O
North	O
America	O
board	O
member	O
Karl	O
Auerbach	O
sued	O
ICANN	B-Application
in	O
Superior	O
Court	O
in	O
California	O
to	O
gain	O
access	O
to	O
ICANN	B-Application
's	O
accounting	O
records	O
without	O
restriction	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
September	O
and	O
October	O
2003	O
,	O
ICANN	B-Application
played	O
a	O
crucial	O
role	O
in	O
the	O
conflict	O
over	O
VeriSign	B-Application
's	O
"	O
wild	O
card	O
"	O
DNS	B-Protocol
service	O
Site	B-Protocol
Finder	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
an	O
open	O
letter	O
from	O
ICANN	B-Application
issuing	O
an	O
ultimatum	O
to	O
VeriSign	B-Application
,	O
later	O
endorsed	O
by	O
the	O
Internet	O
Architecture	O
Board	O
,	O
the	O
company	O
voluntarily	O
ended	O
the	O
service	O
on	O
October	O
4	O
,	O
2003	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
this	O
action	O
,	O
VeriSign	B-Application
filed	O
a	O
lawsuit	O
against	O
ICANN	B-Application
on	O
February	O
27	O
,	O
2004	O
,	O
claiming	O
that	O
ICANN	B-Application
had	O
exceeded	O
its	O
authority	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
this	O
lawsuit	O
,	O
VeriSign	B-Application
sought	O
to	O
reduce	O
ambiguity	O
about	O
ICANN	B-Application
's	O
authority	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
antitrust	O
component	O
of	O
VeriSign	B-Application
's	O
claim	O
was	O
dismissed	O
during	O
August	O
2004	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
VeriSign	B-Application
's	O
challenge	O
that	O
ICANN	B-Application
overstepped	O
its	O
contractual	O
rights	O
is	O
currently	O
outstanding	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
proposed	O
settlement	O
already	O
approved	O
by	O
ICANN	B-Application
's	O
board	O
would	O
resolve	O
VeriSign	B-Application
's	O
challenge	O
to	O
ICANN	B-Application
in	O
exchange	O
for	O
the	O
right	O
to	O
increase	O
pricing	O
on	O
.com	O
domains	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
meeting	O
of	O
ICANN	B-Application
in	O
Rome	O
,	O
which	O
took	O
place	O
from	O
March	O
2	O
to	O
6	O
,	O
2004	O
,	O
ICANN	B-Application
agreed	O
to	O
ask	O
approval	O
of	O
the	O
U.S.	O
Department	O
of	O
Commerce	O
for	O
the	O
Waiting	B-Protocol
List	I-Protocol
Service	I-Protocol
of	O
VeriSign	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
May	O
17	O
,	O
2004	O
,	O
ICANN	B-Application
published	O
a	O
proposed	O
budget	O
for	O
the	O
year	O
2004	O
–	O
05	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
increase	O
was	O
to	O
be	O
funded	O
by	O
the	O
introduction	O
of	O
new	O
top-level	O
domains	O
,	O
charges	O
to	O
domain	B-Protocol
registries	I-Protocol
,	O
and	O
a	O
fee	O
for	O
some	O
domain	B-Protocol
name	I-Protocol
registrations	I-Protocol
,	O
renewals	O
and	O
transfers	O
(	O
initially	O
US	O
$0.20	O
for	O
all	O
domains	O
within	O
a	O
country-code	B-Application
top-level	I-Application
domain	I-Application
,	O
and	O
US	O
$0.25	O
for	O
all	O
others	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Council	O
of	O
European	O
National	O
Top	O
Level	O
Domain	B-Protocol
Registries	I-Protocol
(	O
CENTR	O
)	O
,	O
which	O
represents	O
the	O
Internet	O
registries	O
of	O
39	O
countries	O
,	O
rejected	O
the	O
increase	O
,	O
accusing	O
ICANN	B-Application
of	O
a	O
lack	O
of	O
financial	O
prudence	O
and	O
criticizing	O
what	O
it	O
describes	O
as	O
ICANN	B-Application
's	O
"	O
unrealistic	O
political	O
and	O
operational	O
targets	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
February	O
28	O
,	O
2006	O
,	O
ICANN	B-Application
's	O
board	O
approved	O
a	O
settlement	O
with	O
VeriSign	B-Application
in	O
the	O
lawsuit	O
resulting	O
from	O
SiteFinder	O
that	O
involved	O
allowing	O
VeriSign	B-Application
(	O
the	O
registry	O
)	O
to	O
raise	O
its	O
registration	O
fees	O
by	O
up	O
to	O
7%	O
a	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
February	O
2007	O
,	O
ICANN	B-Application
began	O
procedures	O
to	O
end	O
accreditation	O
of	O
one	O
of	O
their	O
registrars	O
,	O
RegisterFly	O
amid	O
charges	O
and	O
lawsuits	O
involving	O
fraud	O
,	O
and	O
criticism	O
of	O
ICANN	B-Application
's	O
management	O
of	O
the	O
situation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ICANN	B-Application
has	O
been	O
the	O
subject	O
of	O
criticism	O
as	O
a	O
result	O
of	O
its	O
handling	O
of	O
RegisterFly	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
harm	O
caused	O
to	O
thousands	O
of	O
clients	O
as	O
a	O
result	O
of	O
what	O
has	O
been	O
termed	O
ICANN	B-Application
's	O
"	O
laissez	O
faire	O
attitude	O
toward	O
customer	O
allegations	O
of	O
fraud	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
May	O
23	O
,	O
2008	O
,	O
ICANN	B-Application
issued	O
enforcement	O
notices	O
against	O
ten	O
accredited	O
registrars	O
and	O
announced	O
this	O
through	O
a	O
press	O
release	O
entitled	O
"	O
 '	O
Worst	O
Spam	O
Offenders	O
 '	O
Notified	O
by	O
ICANN	B-Application
,	O
Compliance	O
system	O
working	O
to	O
correct	O
Whois	B-Protocol
and	O
other	O
issues.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
mention	O
of	O
the	O
word	O
"	O
spam	O
"	O
in	O
the	O
title	O
of	O
the	O
ICANN	B-Application
memo	O
is	O
somewhat	O
misleading	O
since	O
ICANN	B-Application
does	O
not	O
address	O
issues	O
of	O
spam	O
or	O
email	O
abuse	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Website	O
content	O
and	O
usage	O
are	O
not	O
within	O
ICANN	B-Application
's	O
mandate	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
report	O
demonstrated	O
that	O
out	O
of	O
900	O
ICANN	B-Application
accredited	I-Application
registrars	O
,	O
fewer	O
than	O
20	O
held	O
90%	O
of	O
the	O
web	O
domains	O
advertised	O
in	O
spam	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
same	O
registrars	O
were	O
also	O
most	O
frequently	O
cited	O
by	O
KnujOn	O
as	O
failing	O
to	O
resolve	O
complaints	O
made	O
through	O
the	O
Whois	B-Protocol
Data	O
Problem	O
Reporting	O
System	O
(	O
WDPRS	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
June	O
26	O
,	O
2008	O
,	O
the	O
ICANN	B-Application
Board	O
started	O
a	O
new	O
process	O
of	O
TLD	O
naming	O
policy	O
to	O
take	O
a	O
"	O
significant	O
step	O
forward	O
on	O
the	O
introduction	O
of	O
new	O
generic	O
top-level	O
domains.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
October	O
1	O
,	O
2008	O
,	O
ICANN	B-Application
issued	O
breach	O
notices	O
against	O
Joker	O
and	O
Beijing	O
Innovative	O
Linkage	O
Technology	O
Ltd	O
.	O
after	O
further	O
researching	O
reports	O
and	O
complaints	O
issued	O
by	O
KnujOn	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
notices	O
gave	O
the	O
registrars	O
15	O
days	O
to	O
fix	O
their	O
Whois	B-Protocol
investigation	O
efforts	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2010	O
,	O
ICANN	B-Application
approved	O
a	O
major	O
review	O
of	O
its	O
policies	O
with	O
respect	O
to	O
accountability	O
,	O
transparency	O
,	O
and	O
public	O
participation	O
by	O
the	O
Berkman	O
Center	O
for	O
Internet	O
and	O
Society	O
at	O
Harvard	O
University	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
external	O
review	O
was	O
an	O
assistance	O
of	O
the	O
work	O
of	O
ICANN	B-Application
's	O
Accountability	O
and	O
Transparency	O
Review	O
team	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
February	O
3	O
,	O
2011	O
,	O
ICANN	B-Application
announced	O
that	O
it	O
had	O
distributed	O
the	O
last	O
batch	O
of	O
its	O
remaining	O
IPv4	B-Protocol
addresses	O
to	O
the	O
world	O
's	O
five	O
regional	O
Internet	O
registries	O
,	O
the	O
organizations	O
that	O
manage	O
IP	O
addresses	O
in	O
different	O
regions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
registries	O
began	O
assigning	O
the	O
final	O
IPv4	B-Protocol
addresses	O
within	O
their	O
regions	O
until	O
they	O
ran	O
out	O
completely	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
June	O
20	O
,	O
2011	O
,	O
the	O
ICANN	B-Application
board	O
voted	O
to	O
end	O
most	O
restrictions	O
on	O
the	O
names	O
of	O
generic	O
top-level	O
domains	O
(	O
gTLD	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ICANN	B-Application
began	O
accepting	O
applications	O
for	O
new	O
gTLDS	O
on	O
January	O
12	O
,	O
2012	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
December	O
2011	O
,	O
the	O
Federal	O
Trade	O
Commission	O
stated	O
ICANN	B-Application
had	O
long	O
failed	O
to	O
provide	O
safeguards	O
that	O
protect	O
consumers	O
from	O
online	O
swindlers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
the	O
2013	O
NSA	O
spying	O
scandal	O
,	O
ICANN	B-Application
endorsed	O
the	O
Montevideo	O
Statement	O
,	O
although	O
no	O
direct	O
connection	O
between	O
these	O
could	O
be	O
proven	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
October	O
1	O
,	O
2016	O
,	O
ICANN	B-Application
ended	O
its	O
contract	O
with	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
Department	O
of	O
Commerce	O
National	O
Telecommunications	O
and	O
Information	O
Administration	O
(	O
NTIA	O
)	O
and	O
entered	O
the	O
private	O
sector	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
European	O
Union	O
's	O
General	O
Data	O
Protection	O
Regulation	O
(	O
active	O
since	O
May	O
25	O
,	O
2018	O
)	O
impacted	O
on	O
ICANN	B-Application
operations	O
,	O
which	O
the	O
latter	O
tried	O
to	O
fix	O
through	O
last-minute	O
changes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
From	O
its	O
founding	O
to	O
the	O
present	O
,	O
ICANN	B-Application
has	O
been	O
formally	O
organized	O
as	O
a	O
nonprofit	O
corporation	O
"	O
for	O
charitable	O
and	O
public	O
purposes	O
"	O
under	O
the	O
California	O
Nonprofit	O
Public	O
Benefit	O
Corporation	O
Law	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
managed	O
by	O
a	O
16-member	O
board	O
of	O
directors	O
composed	O
of	O
eight	O
members	O
selected	O
by	O
a	O
nominating	O
committee	O
on	O
which	O
all	O
the	O
constituencies	O
of	O
ICANN	B-Application
are	O
represented	O
;	O
six	O
representatives	O
of	O
its	O
Supporting	O
Organizations	O
,	O
sub-groups	O
that	O
deal	O
with	O
specific	O
sections	O
of	O
the	O
policies	O
under	O
ICANN	B-Application
's	O
purview	O
;	O
an	O
at-large	O
seat	O
filled	O
by	O
an	O
at-large	O
organization	O
;	O
and	O
the	O
president	O
/	O
CEO	O
,	O
appointed	O
by	O
the	O
board	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
currently	O
three	O
supporting	O
organizations	O
:	O
the	O
Generic	O
Names	O
Supporting	O
Organization	O
(	O
GNSO	O
)	O
deals	O
with	O
policy	O
making	O
on	O
generic	O
top-level	O
domains	O
(	O
gTLDs	O
)	O
;	O
the	O
Country	O
Code	O
Names	O
Supporting	O
Organization	O
(	O
ccNSO	O
)	O
deals	O
with	O
policy	O
making	O
on	O
country-code	B-Application
top-level	I-Application
domains	I-Application
(	O
ccTLDs	B-Application
)	O
;	O
the	O
Address	O
Supporting	O
Organization	O
(	O
ASO	O
)	O
deals	O
with	O
policy	O
making	O
on	O
IP	O
addresses	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ICANN	B-Application
also	O
relies	O
on	O
some	O
advisory	O
committees	O
and	O
other	O
advisory	O
mechanisms	O
to	O
receive	O
advice	O
on	O
the	O
interests	O
and	O
needs	O
of	O
stakeholders	O
that	O
do	O
not	O
directly	O
participate	O
in	O
the	O
Supporting	O
Organizations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
include	O
the	O
Governmental	O
Advisory	O
Committee	O
(	O
GAC	O
)	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
composed	O
of	O
representatives	O
of	O
a	O
large	O
number	O
of	O
national	O
governments	O
from	O
all	O
over	O
the	O
world	O
;	O
the	O
At-Large	O
Advisory	O
Committee	O
(	O
ALAC	O
)	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
composed	O
of	O
individual	O
Internet	O
users	O
from	O
around	O
the	O
world	O
selected	O
by	O
each	O
of	O
the	O
Regional	O
At-Large	O
Organizations	O
(	O
RALO	O
)	O
and	O
Nominating	O
Committee	O
;	O
the	O
Root	B-Application
Server	I-Application
System	O
Advisory	O
Committee	O
,	O
which	O
provides	O
advice	O
on	O
the	O
operation	O
of	O
the	O
DNS	B-Application
root	I-Application
server	I-Application
system	O
;	O
the	O
Security	O
and	O
Stability	O
Advisory	O
Committee	O
(	O
SSAC	O
)	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
composed	O
of	O
Internet	O
experts	O
who	O
study	O
security	O
issues	O
pertaining	O
to	O
ICANN	B-Application
's	O
mandate	O
;	O
and	O
the	O
Technical	O
Liaison	O
Group	O
(	O
TLG	O
)	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
composed	O
of	O
representatives	O
of	O
other	O
international	O
technical	O
organizations	O
that	O
focus	O
,	O
at	O
least	O
in	O
part	O
,	O
on	O
the	O
Internet	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
the	O
operator	O
of	O
the	O
IANA	O
domain	O
name	O
functions	O
,	O
ICANN	B-Application
is	O
responsible	O
for	O
the	O
DNSSEC	B-Protocol
management	O
of	O
the	O
root	O
zone	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
day-to-day	O
operations	O
are	O
managed	O
by	O
ICANN	B-Application
and	O
Verisign	B-Application
,	O
the	O
trust	O
is	O
rooted	O
in	O
a	O
group	O
of	O
Trusted	O
Community	O
Representatives	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
members	O
of	O
this	O
group	O
must	O
not	O
be	O
affiliated	O
with	O
ICANN	B-Application
,	O
but	O
are	O
instead	O
members	O
of	O
the	O
broader	O
DNS	B-Protocol
community	O
,	O
volunteering	O
to	O
become	O
a	O
Trusted	O
Community	O
Representative	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
role	O
of	O
the	O
representatives	O
are	O
primarily	O
to	O
take	O
part	O
in	O
regular	O
key	O
ceremonies	O
at	O
a	O
physical	O
location	O
,	O
organized	O
by	O
ICANN	B-Application
,	O
and	O
to	O
safeguard	O
the	O
key	O
materials	O
in	O
between	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
Memorandum	O
of	O
understanding	O
that	O
set	O
up	O
the	O
relationship	O
between	O
ICANN	B-Application
and	O
the	O
U.S.	O
government	O
,	O
ICANN	B-Application
was	O
given	O
a	O
mandate	O
requiring	O
that	O
it	O
operate	O
"	O
in	O
a	O
bottom	O
up	O
,	O
consensus	O
driven	O
,	O
democratic	O
manner.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
the	O
attempts	O
that	O
ICANN	B-Application
have	O
made	O
to	O
establish	O
an	O
organizational	O
structure	O
that	O
would	O
allow	O
wide	O
input	O
from	O
the	O
global	O
Internet	O
community	O
did	O
not	O
produce	O
results	O
amenable	O
to	O
the	O
current	O
Board	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ICANN	B-Application
holds	O
periodic	O
public	O
meetings	O
rotated	O
between	O
continents	O
for	O
the	O
purpose	O
of	O
encouraging	O
global	O
participation	O
in	O
its	O
processes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Resolutions	O
of	O
the	O
ICANN	B-Application
Board	O
,	O
preliminary	O
reports	O
,	O
and	O
minutes	O
of	O
the	O
meetings	O
,	O
are	O
published	O
on	O
the	O
ICANN	B-Application
website	O
,	O
sometimes	O
in	O
real	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
there	O
are	O
criticisms	O
from	O
ICANN	B-Application
constituencies	O
including	O
the	O
Noncommercial	O
Users	O
Constituency	O
(	O
NCUC	O
)	O
and	O
the	O
At-Large	O
Advisory	O
Committee	O
(	O
ALAC	O
)	O
that	O
there	O
is	O
not	O
enough	O
public	O
disclosure	O
and	O
that	O
too	O
many	O
discussions	O
and	O
decisions	O
take	O
place	O
out	O
of	O
sight	O
of	O
the	O
public	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
the	O
early	O
2000s	O
,	O
there	O
had	O
been	O
speculation	O
that	O
the	O
United	O
Nations	O
might	O
assume	O
control	O
of	O
ICANN	B-Application
,	O
followed	O
by	O
a	O
negative	O
reaction	O
from	O
the	O
U.S.	O
government	O
and	O
worries	O
about	O
a	O
division	O
of	O
the	O
Internet	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
World	O
Summit	O
on	O
the	O
Information	O
Society	O
in	O
Tunisia	O
during	O
November	O
2005	O
agreed	O
not	O
to	O
get	O
involved	O
in	O
the	O
day-to-day	O
and	O
technical	O
operations	O
of	O
ICANN	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
ICANN	B-Application
's	O
Government	O
Advisory	O
Committee	O
is	O
currently	O
established	O
to	O
provide	O
advice	O
to	O
ICANN	B-Application
regarding	O
public	O
policy	O
issues	O
and	O
has	O
participation	O
by	O
many	O
of	O
the	O
world	O
's	O
governments	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
have	O
attempted	O
to	O
argue	O
that	O
ICANN	B-Application
was	O
never	O
given	O
the	O
authority	O
to	O
decide	O
policy	O
,	O
e.g.	O
,	O
choose	O
new	O
TLDs	O
or	O
exclude	O
other	O
interested	O
parties	O
who	O
refuse	O
to	O
pay	O
ICANN	B-Application
's	O
US$	O
185,000	O
fee	O
,	O
but	O
was	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
technical	O
caretaker	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Critics	O
suggest	O
that	O
ICANN	B-Application
should	O
not	O
be	O
allowed	O
to	O
impose	O
business	O
rules	O
on	O
market	O
participants	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
all	O
TLDs	O
should	O
be	O
added	O
on	O
a	O
first-come	O
,	O
first-served	O
basis	O
and	O
the	O
market	O
should	O
be	O
the	O
arbiter	O
of	O
who	O
succeeds	O
and	O
who	O
does	O
not	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
task	O
that	O
ICANN	B-Application
was	O
asked	O
to	O
do	O
was	O
to	O
address	O
the	O
issue	O
of	O
domain	O
name	O
ownership	O
resolution	O
for	O
generic	O
top-level	O
domains	O
(	O
gTLDs	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ICANN	B-Application
's	O
attempt	O
at	O
such	O
a	O
policy	O
was	O
drafted	O
in	O
close	O
cooperation	O
with	O
the	O
World	O
Intellectual	O
Property	O
Organization	O
(	O
WIPO	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
result	O
has	O
now	O
become	O
known	O
as	O
the	O
Uniform	O
Dispute	O
Resolution	O
Policy	O
(	O
UDRP	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
ICANN	B-Application
policy	O
,	O
domain	O
registrants	O
must	O
agree	O
to	O
be	O
bound	O
by	O
the	O
UDRP	O
—	O
they	O
cannot	O
get	O
a	O
domain	O
name	O
without	O
agreeing	O
to	O
this	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2013	O
,	O
the	O
initial	O
report	O
of	O
ICANN	B-Application
's	O
Expert	O
Working	O
Group	O
has	O
recommended	O
that	O
the	O
present	O
form	O
of	O
Whois	B-Protocol
,	O
a	O
utility	O
that	O
allows	O
anyone	O
to	O
know	O
who	O
has	O
registered	O
a	O
domain	O
name	O
on	O
the	O
Internet	O
,	O
should	O
be	O
"	O
abandoned	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ICANN	B-Application
's	O
list	O
of	O
permissible	O
purposes	O
includes	O
domain	O
name	O
research	O
,	O
domain	O
name	O
sale	O
and	O
purchase	O
,	O
regulatory	O
enforcement	O
,	O
personal	O
data	O
protection	O
,	O
legal	O
actions	O
,	O
and	O
abuse	O
mitigation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Whois	B-Protocol
has	O
been	O
a	O
key	O
tool	O
of	O
investigative	O
journalists	O
interested	O
in	O
determining	O
who	O
was	O
disseminating	O
information	O
on	O
the	O
Internet	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
use	O
of	O
whois	B-Protocol
by	O
journalists	O
is	O
not	O
included	O
in	O
the	O
list	O
of	O
permissible	O
purposes	O
in	O
the	O
initial	O
report	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Proposals	O
have	O
been	O
made	O
to	O
internationalize	O
ICANN	B-Application
's	O
monitoring	O
responsibilities	O
(	O
currently	O
the	O
responsibility	O
of	O
the	O
US	O
)	O
,	O
to	O
transform	O
it	O
into	O
an	O
international	O
organization	O
(	O
under	O
international	O
law	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
to	O
"	O
establish	O
an	O
intergovernmental	O
mechanism	O
enabling	O
governments	O
,	O
on	O
an	O
equal	O
footing	O
,	O
to	O
carry	O
out	O
their	O
role	O
and	O
responsibilities	O
in	O
international	O
public	O
policy	O
issues	O
pertaining	O
to	O
the	O
Internet	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
statement	O
proposed	O
the	O
creation	O
of	O
a	O
new	O
political	O
organization	O
operating	O
as	O
a	O
component	O
of	O
the	O
United	O
Nations	O
to	O
provide	O
policy	O
recommendations	O
for	O
the	O
consideration	O
of	O
technical	O
organizations	O
such	O
as	O
ICANN	B-Application
and	O
international	O
bodies	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
ITU	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Among	O
other	O
things	O
,	O
the	O
statement	O
"	O
expressed	O
strong	O
concern	O
over	O
the	O
undermining	O
of	O
the	O
trust	O
and	O
confidence	O
of	O
Internet	O
users	O
globally	O
due	O
to	O
recent	O
revelations	O
of	O
pervasive	O
monitoring	O
and	O
surveillance	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
called	O
for	O
accelerating	O
the	O
globalization	O
of	O
ICANN	B-Application
and	O
IANA	O
functions	O
,	O
towards	O
an	O
environment	O
in	O
which	O
all	O
stakeholders	O
,	O
including	O
all	O
governments	O
,	O
participate	O
on	O
an	O
equal	O
footing	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
statement	O
was	O
signed	O
by	O
the	O
managers	O
of	O
the	O
Internet	B-Application
Corporation	I-Application
for	I-Application
Assigned	I-Application
Names	I-Application
and	I-Application
Numbers	I-Application
(	O
ICANN	B-Application
)	O
,	O
the	O
Internet	O
Engineering	O
Task	O
Force	O
,	O
the	O
Internet	O
Architecture	O
Board	O
,	O
the	O
World	O
Wide	O
Web	O
Consortium	O
,	O
the	O
Internet	O
Society	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
five	O
regional	O
Internet	O
address	O
registries	O
(	O
African	O
Network	B-Protocol
Information	I-Protocol
Center	I-Protocol
,	O
American	O
Registry	O
for	O
Internet	O
Numbers	O
,	O
Asia-Pacific	O
Network	B-Protocol
Information	I-Protocol
Centre	I-Protocol
,	O
Latin	O
America	O
and	O
Caribbean	O
Internet	O
Addresses	O
Registry	O
,	O
and	O
Réseaux	O
IP	O
Européens	O
Network	O
Coordination	O
Centre	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
October	O
2013	O
,	O
Fadi	O
Chehadé	O
,	O
former	O
president	O
and	O
CEO	O
of	O
ICANN	B-Application
,	O
met	O
with	O
Brazilian	O
president	O
Dilma	O
Rousseff	O
in	O
Brasilia	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Obama	O
administration	O
that	O
had	O
joined	O
critics	O
of	O
ICANN	B-Application
during	O
2011	O
announced	O
in	O
March	O
2014	O
that	O
they	O
intended	O
to	O
transition	O
away	O
from	O
oversight	O
of	O
the	O
IANA	O
functions	O
contract	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
current	O
contract	O
that	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
Department	O
of	O
Commerce	O
has	O
with	O
ICANN	B-Application
expired	O
in	O
2015	O
,	O
in	O
its	O
place	O
the	O
NTIA	O
will	O
transition	O
oversight	O
of	O
the	O
IANA	O
functions	O
to	O
the	O
'	O
global	O
multistakeholder	O
community	O
 '	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
final	O
resolution	O
says	O
ICANN	B-Application
should	O
be	O
controlled	O
internationally	O
by	O
September	O
2015	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
month	O
later	O
,	O
the	O
Panel	O
on	O
Global	O
Internet	O
Cooperation	O
and	O
Governance	O
Mechanisms	O
(	O
convened	O
by	O
the	O
Internet	B-Application
Corporation	I-Application
for	I-Application
Assigned	I-Application
Names	I-Application
and	I-Application
Numbers	I-Application
(	O
ICANN	B-Application
)	O
and	O
the	O
World	O
Economic	O
Forum	O
(	O
WEF	O
)	O
with	O
assistance	O
from	O
The	O
Annenberg	O
Foundation	O
)	O
,	O
endorsed	O
and	O
included	O
the	O
NetMundial	O
statement	O
in	O
its	O
own	O
report	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
June	O
2014	O
,	O
France	O
strongly	O
attacked	O
ICANN	B-Application
,	O
saying	O
ICANN	B-Application
is	O
not	O
a	O
fit	O
venue	O
for	O
Internet	O
governance	O
and	O
that	O
alternatives	O
should	O
be	O
sought	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
2011	O
,	O
seventy-nine	O
companies	O
,	O
including	O
The	O
Coca-Cola	O
Company	O
,	O
Hewlett-Packard	O
,	O
Samsung	B-Application
and	O
others	O
,	O
signed	O
a	O
petition	O
against	O
ICANN	B-Application
's	O
new	O
TLD	O
program	O
(	O
sometimes	O
referred	O
to	O
as	O
a	O
"	O
commercial	O
landgrab	O
"	O
)	O
,	O
in	O
a	O
group	O
organized	O
by	O
the	O
Association	O
of	O
National	O
Advertisers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
September	O
2014	O
,	O
this	O
group	O
,	O
the	O
Coalition	O
for	O
Responsible	O
Internet	O
Domain	O
Oversight	O
,	O
that	O
opposes	O
the	O
rollout	O
of	O
ICANN	B-Application
's	O
TLD	O
expansion	O
program	O
,	O
has	O
been	O
joined	O
by	O
102	O
associations	O
and	O
79	O
major	O
companies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Partly	O
as	O
a	O
response	O
to	O
this	O
criticism	O
,	O
ICANN	B-Application
initiated	O
an	O
effort	O
to	O
protect	O
trademarks	O
in	O
domain	B-Protocol
name	I-Protocol
registrations	I-Protocol
,	O
which	O
eventually	O
culminated	O
in	O
the	O
establishment	O
of	O
the	O
Trademark	O
Clearinghouse	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ICANN	B-Application
has	O
received	O
more	O
than	O
$60million	O
from	O
gTLD	O
auctions	O
,	O
and	O
has	O
accepted	O
the	O
controversial	O
domain	O
name	O
"	O
.sucks	O
"	O
(	O
referring	O
to	O
the	O
primarily	O
US	O
slang	O
for	O
being	O
inferior	O
or	O
objectionable	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
.sucks	O
domain	B-Application
registrar	I-Application
has	O
been	O
described	O
as	O
"	O
predatory	O
,	O
exploitive	O
and	O
coercive	O
"	O
by	O
the	O
Intellectual	O
Property	O
Constituency	O
that	O
advises	O
the	O
ICANN	B-Application
board	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
FTC	O
chair	O
Edith	O
Ramirez	O
has	O
written	O
to	O
ICANN	B-Application
to	O
say	O
the	O
agency	O
will	O
take	O
action	O
against	O
the	O
.sucks	O
owner	O
if	O
"	O
we	O
have	O
reason	O
to	O
believe	O
an	O
entity	O
has	O
engaged	O
in	O
deceptive	O
or	O
unfair	O
practices	O
in	O
violation	O
of	O
Section	O
5	O
of	O
the	O
FTC	O
Act	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Jay	O
Rockefeller	O
says	O
that	O
.sucks	O
is	O
"	O
a	O
predatory	O
shakedown	O
scheme	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
Approving	O
'	O
.sucks	O
'	O
,	O
a	O
gTLD	O
with	O
little	O
or	O
no	O
public	O
interest	O
value	O
,	O
will	O
have	O
the	O
effect	O
of	O
undermining	O
the	O
credibility	O
ICANN	B-Application
has	O
slowly	O
been	O
building	O
with	O
skeptical	O
stakeholders.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
a	O
long-running	O
dispute	O
,	O
ICANN	B-Application
has	O
so	O
far	O
declined	O
to	O
allow	O
a	O
Turkish	O
company	O
to	O
purchase	O
the	O
.islam	O
and	O
.halal	O
gTLDs	O
,	O
after	O
the	O
Organisation	O
of	O
Islamic	O
Cooperation	O
objected	O
that	O
the	O
gTLDs	O
should	O
be	O
administered	O
by	O
an	O
organization	O
that	O
represents	O
all	O
the	O
world	O
's	O
1.6	O
billion	O
Muslims	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2019	O
,	O
ICANN	B-Application
proposed	O
an	O
end	O
to	O
the	O
price	O
cap	O
of	O
org	O
domains	O
and	O
effectively	O
removed	O
it	O
in	O
July	O
in	O
spite	O
of	O
having	O
received	O
3,252	O
opposing	O
comments	O
and	O
only	O
six	O
in	O
favor	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
May	O
2019	O
,	O
ICANN	B-Application
decided	O
in	O
favor	O
of	O
granting	O
exclusive	O
administration	O
rights	O
to	O
amazon.com	B-Application
for	O
the	O
.amazon	O
gTLD	O
after	O
a	O
7	O
year	O
long	O
dispute	O
with	O
the	O
Amazon	B-Application
Cooperation	O
Treaty	O
Organization	O
(	O
ACTO	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
