WASHINGTON, March 23, 2010 — The Coalition Against Domain Name Abuse (CADNA) opposes the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) decision to move forward with new generic top-level domains (gTLDs) without first evaluating demand.

ICANN Chairman of the Board Peter Dengate-Thrush recently indicated that ICANN will launch the new gTLD process as quickly as possible and not gauge the level of interest in the new gTLD program through an Expression of Interest (EOI) process.

CADNA opposed the structure of the proposed EOI model during the public comment period ICANN held in late 2009. However, the Coalition continues to support the need for identifying a different process than the proposed EOI model, one that would accurately assess user, rather than registry, demand for new gTLDs.

Concerned ICANN constituents have requested a study to accurately gauge Internet user demand for new gTLDs. CADNA supports the interest of Internet users and strongly encourages ICANN to develop a meaningful process for evaluating gTLD demand before pushing the new gTLD launch forward.

“It is troubling that ICANN is unwilling to properly vet the new gTLD program, which will deeply impact the Internet. More alarming is that ICANN calls itself a ‘bottom-up’ policy making organization, but fails to listen to concerned stakeholders worldwide or worse, ignores their pleas for better governance,” said CADNA President Josh Bourne.

The Coalition Against Domain Name Abuse (CADNA) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the systemic domain name abuses that plague the Internet today. For more information, please visit www.cadna.org.