ICANN
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, a nonprofit international organization responsible for coordinating the global domain name system, IP address allocation, and the assignment of internet protocol parameters.
Core Facts
ICANN is the top-level coordinating organization of the global domain name system, and any company wishing to sell domain names must obtain its accreditation
The hierarchical structure of the domain name system is: ICANN (top-level governance) → registries (managing specific top-level domains such as .com and .net) → registrars (providing registration services to end users).
ICANN launched a new generic top-level domain expansion program in 2012, approving more than 1,200 new suffixes at once.
Timeline (last 90 days)
A domain registrar is a company certified by ICANN that sells domain registration services to the public, such as GoDaddy and Namecheap.
After the 2018 revision, the .com wholesale price controls in the NTIA-Verisign cooperative agreement were removed, allowing Verisign to set prices freely according to market conditions (though still subject to indirect constraints from ICANN).
If users believe a block is unfair, they can complain to ICANN, but ICANN generally does not intervene in commercial disputes and only reviews whether registrars comply with procedural obligations.
ICANN's Registrar Accreditation Agreement (RAA) requires registrars to follow specific procedures when suspending a domain, including notifying the user in advance and giving an opportunity to appeal, unless there is an urgent abuse situation.
Namecheap's terms of service include authority to handle abusive behavior, and the registrar has the right to suspend domains when fraud, spam, infringement, or violations of ICANN rules are suspected.
.cfd, .icu, and .fun are new generic top-level domains (new gTLDs) that ICANN has opened since 2012.
.name is a generic top-level domain (gTLD) approved by ICANN, intended for individual name registration.
ICANN's annual meeting is usually held in conjunction with a policy forum or community week, and is the most concentrated occasion for global domain policy discussion.
Each application in the new round of top-level domain applications costs approximately $185,000.
ICANN has announced the application details for the 2026 round of new generic top-level domains (gTLDs).
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All Facts (20)
ICANN is the top-level coordinating organization of the global domain name system, and any company wishing to sell domain names must obtain its accreditation
65%VerifiedThe hierarchical structure of the domain name system is: ICANN (top-level governance) → registries (managing specific top-level domains such as .com and .net) → registrars (providing registration services to end users).
65%VerifiedICANN launched a new generic top-level domain expansion program in 2012, approving more than 1,200 new suffixes at once.
65%UnverifiedThe Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP) is a mandatory dispute resolution procedure established by ICANN in 1999, applicable to all gTLDs and certain ccTLDs that have adopted the policy.
60%UnverifiedICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) was established in 1998 and is a non-profit organization responsible for coordinating the global internet's unique identifier systems.
60%UnverifiedAfter the 2018 revision, the .com wholesale price controls in the NTIA-Verisign cooperative agreement were removed, allowing Verisign to set prices freely according to market conditions (though still subject to indirect constraints from ICANN).
50%UnverifiedA domain registrar is a company certified by ICANN that sells domain registration services to the public, such as GoDaddy and Namecheap.
50%UnverifiedIf users believe a block is unfair, they can complain to ICANN, but ICANN generally does not intervene in commercial disputes and only reviews whether registrars comply with procedural obligations.
50%UnverifiedNamecheap's terms of service include authority to handle abusive behavior, and the registrar has the right to suspend domains when fraud, spam, infringement, or violations of ICANN rules are suspected.
50%UnverifiedICANN's Registrar Accreditation Agreement (RAA) requires registrars to follow specific procedures when suspending a domain, including notifying the user in advance and giving an opportunity to appeal, unless there is an urgent abuse situation.
50%Unverified.cfd, .icu, and .fun are new generic top-level domains (new gTLDs) that ICANN has opened since 2012.
50%Unverified.name is a generic top-level domain (gTLD) approved by ICANN, intended for individual name registration.
50%UnverifiedICANN's annual meeting is usually held in conjunction with a policy forum or community week, and is the most concentrated occasion for global domain policy discussion.
50%UnverifiedEach application in the new round of top-level domain applications costs approximately $185,000.
50%UnverifiedIf multiple applicants compete for the same string, they must undergo a competitive evaluation process, and in serious cases the final approved applicant is determined through an auction.
50%UnverifiedThe 2012 new gTLD review cycle lasted several years, with some domain names not officially going live until around 2016.
50%UnverifiedThe last large-scale opening of new gTLDs began in 2012.
50%UnverifiedIn the 2012 new gTLD round, the application fee per application was $185,000, and was non-refundable regardless of whether the application succeeded.
50%UnverifiedThe authority to set internet standards has long been controlled by U.S.-dominated organizations such as ICANN.
50%UnverifiedICANN, as the global administrator of the domain name system, has been discussing DNS abuse issues for many years with limited substantive progress.
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