A Dec. 14 House hearing on the planned rollout of new top level domains for the web did little to allay skeptics' worries.

ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, has managed Internet name spaces since its creation in 1998. Starting in January, it says it will accept applications for new top level domains to rival existing ones, such as .com and .org. ICANN approved earlier this year rollout of a new .xxx top level domain.

"ICANN does have a mission to increase competition and choice. It's baked into our DNA to create competition in the Internet," said Kurt Pritz, ICANN senior vice president, while testifying before the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on communications and technology.

The cost for applying for a new top level domain will be $185,000 for most applicants and those awarded one will have to pay $25,000 annually thereafter to maintain it.

"This may not be quite ready for prime time," said Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.), the subcommittee chairman, expressing a sentiment echoed by other members of the committee. Some panel members cited Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz, who told a Dec. 7 House committee that the planned expansion would be "a disaster" for consumers.

The practice of companies defensively registering domain names to prevent rivals or cybersquatters from getting ahold of them first will increase, opponents say, drawing away resources that could be better spent.  

Pritz, during the hearing, acknowledged the concerns but said that cybersquatting in the new top level domains will decrease relative to current levels due to new safeguards. Each application for a new top level domain will undergo six evaluations that include criminal background checks plus a requirement for DNSSEC deployment, "maintenance of a thick WHOIS database, and centralized access to TLD data," Prtiz said.

Other witnesses say ICANN's safeguards won't do the job. There is "no requirement that there be a thicker WHOIS," said Daniel Jaffee, executive vice president of the Association of National Advertisers. "ICANN recommends it, but doesn't demand it," he said, adding that even if more information in the WHOIS database becomes a requirement, there's still the possibility it won't be enforced. "This creates a massive hole in their protection system," Jaffee said.

For more:
- go to the hearing webpage (prepared testimonies and webcast available)

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