Advertisers Continue to Oppose ICANN's Domain Changes

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) rolled out changes to domain names earlier this summer. There are currently around 20 generic top-level domains (gTLD) including .com, .net, and .org. However, this historic decision will allow companies and individuals to purchase their own gTLD.

Advertisers strongly oppose this move since they believe ICANN is trying to solve a problem that doesn't exist. WebProNews spoke with Doug Wood, the General Counsel for the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), who told us that these changes could harm both brands and consumers. According to him, not only could brands become susceptible to cyber squatting and phishing attacks as a result, but the changes could also cause confusion among consumers.

"The idea of this being successful and delivering the competition or the innovation that they are speculating on is clearly questionable," he said.

The ANA, along with the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), the Direct Marketing Association, and more, are rallying to get ICANN to overturn their changes.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Advertisers
• ANA
• Brands
• Domain Names
• Doug Wood
• gTLD
• ICANN
• Opposition