May 2026 - NA-Discuss - lists.icann.org

Expanding pie, shrinking piece
by Evan Leibovitch June 1, 2026

June 1, 2026

Hi all, As ICANN plunges itself into yet another new-gTLD feeding frenzy supported by ALAC, perhaps it should be reminded again that this ever-expanding universe of 'memorable' domains is chasing an ever-decreasing number of users. Perhaps it is worth contributing some perspective and research to the ALAC conversation when considering what end users really need from ICANN, and never-ending expansion of the domain space is not among those needs. Consider that the share of Internet traffic that is initiated by user-typed domains is in the range of *4-7*%. This is down from *9-14%* in 2017 and *13-20%* in 2010. This is clearly a downward trend that has not yet bottomed out. Statistics are hard to come by, because most surveys lump typed-URL traffic together with bookmarks (in which your browser remembers the domain name but you don't) and dark social into the category of "Direct Traffic" to differentiate from lookups done via search, QR codes, etc. Sources are linked below. This is what everyone here is fighting over: mid-single-digits of how people get to their Internet destinations. Yet ICANN operates on a much larger budget than orgs like IETF or W3C -- which critically affect how the *entire* Internet works -- because of all the money sloshing around from sources such as fees for new gTLDs that -- provably -- nobody needs except ICANN itself and domain speculators. That domains are really rented rather than sold obviously provides ongoing revenue; whether this model benefits end-users is certainly debatable. This isn't Internet Governance. It's heavily-conflicted regulatory cosplay, overseeing a tiny (and shrinking in importance) piece of the Internet infrastructure, designed to make money for some while diverting attention from real issues affecting end-users. Such issues include domain abuse that goes well beyond the industry-created ICANN definition, that even its non-political technical bodies refuse to acknowledge. Where is ALAC on this? I used to think that the ICANN community bubble of self-delusion insulated it from the broader Internet ecosystem. I now realize that it actually insulates the broader Internet ecosystem against being infected by ICANN; this is why absolutely NOBODY is considering ICANN processes for AI or other critical Internet governance. The term "multistakeholder" now appears toxic outside the bubble, though its good intentions are already being reinvented under different names elsewhere. I strongly suggest that At-Large re-evaluate its role within this bubble, to redouble its advocacy of genuine end-user needs, starting with an honest evaluation of what those needs are (as opposed to what we wish to be or what other communities wish us to chase). That is: Just how can ALAC make life better for that 4-7% of the world that still depends on typed URLs? And what else matters? Sources: ACM <https://dl.acm.org/doi/fullHtml/10.1145/3473343> Sparktoro <https://sparktoro.com/blog/new-research-dark-social-falsely-attributes-sign…> Mental Momentum <https://research.mental-momentum.ai/r/dark-social-marketing-attribution-202…> Averi <https://www.averi.ai/blog/57-of-our-traffic-is-direct-unknown-what-it-means> GR0 <https://gr0.com/blog/what-is-direct-traffic> Sitechecker <https://sitechecker.pro/what-is-direct-traffic> -- Evan Leibovitch, Toronto Canada @evanleibovitch / @el56

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Re: [At-Large] Re: Expanding pie, shrinking piece
by Evan Leibovitch May 31, 2026

May 31, 2026

On Sun, May 31, 2026 at 6:01 PM Antony Van Couvering via At-Large < at-large(a)icann.org> wrote: > *"Choice is only valuable if it advances identifiable public-interest > goals.”* > > That is a chilling formulation. > Chill out, then. > Who wants to step forward and define what it means for something to be in > the public interest? > Ah yes, the old "you can't protect the public interest because you can't even define it" obfuscation raises its head again. It was sucker bait then and it's sucker bait now. Avoid. - Evan

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REMINDER: Meeting invitation: At-Large Webinar: GNSO Policy Development Processes 101 on Thursday, 28 May 2026 at 16:00 UTC
by ICANN At-Large Staff May 27, 2026

May 27, 2026

From: ICANN At-Large Staff <staff(a)atlarge.icann.org> Date: Thursday, May 21, 2026 at 12:15 PM To: Gisella Gruber <Gisella.Gruber(a)icann.org> Subject: Meeting invitation: At-Large Webinar: GNSO Policy Development Processes 101 on Thursday, 28 May 2026 at 16:00 UTC [cid:image001.png@01DCEDD0.7D6713C0] Dear All, You are invited to participate in the At-Large Webinar: GNSO Policy Development Processes 101 on Thursday, 28 May 2026 at 16:00 UTC for 75 mins,where Justine Chew will unpack what it means for the ALAC and At-Large community to effectively participate in the Generic Names Supporting Organization’s Policy Development Processes (GNSO PDPs) specifically, and why such participation is important to us. Join us to learn more and have your questions answered! This webinar forms part of the FY2026 At-Large Capacity Development Initiatives<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Hnv5EnPAOu99Narg13yTc1kOjozDArg_m6g_KQy…>,and touches on the adopted ALAC Rules of Procedure Adjunct Document – Metrics and Remedial Actions for Appointees, 16 Dec 2025<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DMaU1yq7JZ71MqkgP37W86LSaO7iEa7zhVmSQZ0…>. Recommended pre-activity self-learning resources * * ICANN<https://learn.icann.org/#/online-courses/6bd2768c-3a4e-4946-a857-885a051e21…> * Learn 500 Policy Development Fundamentals<https://learn.icann.org/#/online-courses/6bd2768c-3a4e-4946-a857-885a051e21…> * * * ICANN<https://learn.icann.org/#/online-courses/b8460309-e820-4a8b-9ce3-8005e3c525…> * Learn 503 ICANN Policy Development Processes (PDPs)<https://learn.icann.org/#/online-courses/b8460309-e820-4a8b-9ce3-8005e3c525…> * * * * ICANN<https://learn.icann.org/#/online-courses/47673682-4c2b-4618-aa8e-026e3a25ca…> * Learn 506 ICANN Policy Development: A Guide for At-Large Participants<https://learn.icann.org/#/online-courses/47673682-4c2b-4618-aa8e-026e3a25ca…> * * * 2026-01-26<https://icann-community.atlassian.net/wiki/x/T4DqLQ> * At-Large Fireside Chat #1 on Participating in ICANN Working Groups<https://icann-community.atlassian.net/wiki/x/T4DqLQ> * * * 2026-01-29<https://icann-community.atlassian.net/wiki/x/mIDmLQ> * At-Large Fireside Chat #2 on Participating in ICANN Working Groups<https://icann-community.atlassian.net/wiki/x/mIDmLQ> * Interpretation in English, French, and Spanish. For other times: HERE<https://tinyurl.com/59nxb4cn> The agenda and call details can be found at: https://icann-community.atlassian.net/wiki/x/AYAbR Zoom Registration: https://icann.zoom.us/meeting/register/T_1LDqknQuy0l8WbqPtEZg You must register to join. Password: *f#sN3j3c1 Thank you. Kind regards, At-Large Staff ICANN Policy Staff in support of the At-Large Community www.icann.org<http://www.icann.org/>

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DNS Abuse Circle ID Article
by Glenn McKnight May 25, 2026

May 25, 2026

https://circleid.com/posts/dns-abuse-is-stealing-indias-youth-fake-domains-… Glenn McKnight, MA Virtual School of Internet Governance Chief Information Officer www.virtualsig.org *YOUR SOURCE FOR INTERNET GOVERNANCE EDUCATION * *Mobile 437-237-4655*

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NARALO Vote Result Announcement
by ICANN At-Large Staff May 22, 2026

May 22, 2026

Dear All, On behalf of Greg Shatan, Chair of NARALO, we are pleased to announce that the following NARALO candidates have been elected: ALAC Member - Judith Hellerstein<https://icann-community.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/atlarge/pages/99720157/Ju…> (Term: 2026 AGM - 2028 AGM) NARALO Chair - Eduardo Diaz<https://icann-community.atlassian.net/wiki/x/gI-xBQ> (Term: 2026 AGM - 2028 AGM) Since there were more than two candidates for the position of NARALO Chair, the practice in NARALO is to have electors rank the candidates and use the Single Transferable Vote methodology. The number of Rank=1 votes for each candidate is tallied and the candidate with the least is eliminated. For each ballot, the Ranks are adjusted removing the votes for the eliminated candidate and moving up other candidates if necessary. So if a voter ranked the eliminated candidate as Rank=1, the candidate who they ranked=2 is now moved up to Rank=1. And the process is continued until there are only two candidates and a winner is declared. If there is a tie, in the election for ALAC Member, as per NARALO Rules of Procedure 2.3.5, the NARALO Chair may either cause the election or vote to be rerun, or may cast one additional vote to break the tie. If there is a tie in the election for Chair, as per NARALO Rules of Procedure 6.5.2, the determination of the winner shall be made by a secret ballot of three (3) NARALO individuals. The three individuals shall be selected from the current occupants of the following positions, in order (excluding the tied candidates): the three current ALAC Members, the Chair, and the Secretariat. To the extent that three (3) individuals who meet these requirements are not available, the At-Large Staff shall oversee a selection by random from between the tied candidates. There is one exception to the above process. If one candidate gets a majority of the "Rank=1" votes on the first ballot, that candidate is declared the winner. No additional ballots occur. [cid:image001.png@01DCE6C4.0A1C5640] Single Transferable Vote Methodology Result: [cid:image002.png@01DCE6C4.0A1C5640] All results will be posted on the 2026 ALAC and RALO Elections, Selections and Appointments Workspace.<https://icann-community.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/atlarge/pages/964296716> At-Large staff would like to congratulate Judith Hellerstein and Eduardo Diaz, and thank all the candidates for their interest in the position. Kind Regards, ICANN Policy Staff in support of the At-Large Community

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Article 19 Article on DNS Abuse
by Glenn McKnight May 22, 2026

May 22, 2026

Here is a summary slideshow on the Article 19 paper https://online.fliphtml5.com/gnel/Defending_the_DNS/ Also attached is a PDF of the above slideshow Here is the direct link to the Article 19 "Damming a River to Catch a Fish: Why the DNS must enable expression- not silence it" Glenn McKnight, MA Virtual School of Internet Governance Chief Information Officer www.virtualsig.org *YOUR SOURCE FOR INTERNET GOVERNANCE EDUCATION * *Mobile 437-237-4655*

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(Register!) Meeting invitation: At-Large Webinar: GNSO Policy Development Processes 101 on Thursday, 28 May 2026 at 16:00 UTC
by ICANN At-Large Staff May 21, 2026

May 21, 2026

[cid:image001.png@01DCE951.A241DB40] Dear All, In January 2026, two At-Large Fireside Chats were held where seasoned At-Large community members shared their experiences of participating in various ICANN working groups: * Cheryl Langdon-Orr and Hadia Elminiawi spoke with Eunice Alejandra Pérez Coello on 26 January 2026<https://icann-community.atlassian.net/wiki/x/T4DqLQ>, while * Alan Greenberg and Steinar Grøtterød spoke with Justine Chew on 29 January 2026<https://icann-community.atlassian.net/wiki/x/mIDmLQ>. As a follow-on, you are invited to participate in the At-Large Webinar: GNSO Policy Development Processes 101 on Thursday, 28 May 2026 at 16:00 UTC for 75 mins, where Justine Chew will unpack what it means for the ALAC and At-Large community to effectively participate in the Generic Names Supporting Organization’s Policy Development Processes (GNSO PDPs) specifically, and why such participation is important to us. Join us to learn more and have your questions answered! This webinar forms part of the FY2026 At-Large Capacity Development Initiatives<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Hnv5EnPAOu99Narg13yTc1kOjozDArg_m6g_KQy…>, and touches on the adopted ALAC Rules of Procedure Adjunct Document – Metrics and Remedial Actions for Appointees, 16 Dec 2025<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DMaU1yq7JZ71MqkgP37W86LSaO7iEa7zhVmSQZ0…>. Recommended pre-activity self-learning resources * ICANN Learn 500 Policy Development Fundamentals<https://learn.icann.org/#/online-courses/6bd2768c-3a4e-4946-a857-885a051e21…> * ICANN Learn 503 ICANN Policy Development Processes (PDPs)<https://learn.icann.org/#/online-courses/b8460309-e820-4a8b-9ce3-8005e3c525…> * ICANN Learn 506 ICANN Policy Development: A Guide for At-Large Participants<https://learn.icann.org/#/online-courses/47673682-4c2b-4618-aa8e-026e3a25ca…> * 2026-01-26 At-Large Fireside Chat #1 on Participating in ICANN Working Groups<https://icann-community.atlassian.net/wiki/x/T4DqLQ> * 2026-01-29 At-Large Fireside Chat #2 on Participating in ICANN Working Groups<https://icann-community.atlassian.net/wiki/x/mIDmLQ> Interpretation in English, French, and Spanish. For other times: HERE<https://tinyurl.com/59nxb4cn> The agenda and call details can be found at: https://icann-community.atlassian.net/wiki/x/AYAbR Zoom Registration: https://icann.zoom.us/meeting/register/T_1LDqknQuy0l8WbqPtEZg You must register to join. Password: *f#sN3j3c1 Thank you. Kind regards, At-Large Staff ICANN Policy Staff in support of the At-Large Community www.icann.org<http://www.icann.org/>

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Article 19 Why the DNS must enable expression – not silence it
by Glenn McKnight May 20, 2026

May 20, 2026

Abstract ontent moderation is often associated with social media posts being blocked or taken down due to decisions by governments and social media companies. But government censorship tactics are increasingly moving into deeper layers of the internet stack. Beyond social media companies, infrastructure providers – such as those operating the Domain Name System (DNS), the ‘address book’ of the internet – also act as gatekeepers to content.1 When such tactics are applied to the DNS, the impact on freedom of expression can be devastating. Domain names are key for locating a particular webpage. The DNS translates website addresses (domain names, like ‘article19.org’) into internet protocol addresses (numerical labels that indicate where in the network a given website is located), so that the right page appears. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a multistakeholder organisation, maintains the DNS. ICANN policies are implemented by domain operators.2 Domain name operators include: Registries, which manage domain name databases for top-level domains (such as ‘.com’, ‘.uk’, or ‘.org’), and Registrars, which liaise between registries and domain owners, known as registrants. There are two types of registries: ccTLDs (those that operate country-code top-level domains, such as ‘.br’ for Brazil) gTLDs (generic top-level domains such as .com or .music) When a domain is suspended, all webpages using the same domain can no longer be accessed. This approach is equivalent to damming a river to catch a few fish. For example, if a domain operator were to block the ‘ article19.org’ domain, everything we published on it – from this report, to our coverage of the war in Ukraine, to our hate speech toolkit published 10 years ago – would become inaccessible. The DNS forms the backbone of the internet and it was not designed to evaluate or block content. Of particular concern for ARTICLE 19 is the weaponisation of domain suspension orders by state actors to censor critical voices and prevent access to information of public interest. www.article19.org | Interesting position by Article 18 on suspension of domain names Position *"Suspending a domain has an inherently high risk of blocking protected content, potentially violating international human rights standards." * attached PDF Glenn McKnight, MA Virtual School of Internet Governance Chief Information Officer www.virtualsig.org *YOUR SOURCE FOR INTERNET GOVERNANCE EDUCATION * *Mobile 437-237-4655*

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Re: NARALO Vote Result Announcement
by Ron da Silva May 18, 2026

May 18, 2026

Congratulations Eduardo & Judith! -ron > On May 18, 2026, at 12:44 PM, na-discuss-request(a)icann.org wrote: > From: ICANN At-Large Staff <staff(a)atlarge.icann.org <mailto:staff@atlarge.icann.org>> > Subject: [NA-Discuss] NARALO Vote Result Announcement > Date: May 18, 2026 at 12:44:17 PM EDT > To: "na-discuss(a)icann.org <mailto:na-discuss@icann.org>" <na-discuss(a)icann.org <mailto:na-discuss@icann.org>> > Cc: ICANN At-Large Staff <staff(a)atlarge.icann.org <mailto:staff@atlarge.icann.org>> > > > Dear All, > On behalf of Greg Shatan, Chair of NARALO, we are pleased to announce that the following NARALO candidates have been elected: > > ALAC Member - > Judith Hellerstein <https://icann-community.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/atlarge/pages/99720157/Ju…> (Term: 2026 AGM - 2028 AGM) > > NARALO Chair - > Eduardo Diaz <https://icann-community.atlassian.net/wiki/x/gI-xBQ> (Term: 2026 AGM - 2028 AGM)

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The missing piece of DNS Abuse and blocking
by Evan Leibovitch May 15, 2026

May 15, 2026

Hi all, I just attended the ICANN webinar in explanation of SSAC 127 on DNS Blocking. I asked about the report's lack of consideration of end-user blocking options and was, shall we say, unimpressed by the (lack of) response and assertion that sufficient attention has been paid. With that in mind, I wish to share with my NARALO colleagues the slides to a presentation I made last night on this topic at the monthly meeting of my ALS. It offers a different, user-centric perspective on the issue. Here is the link to the Google Slides document <https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1byjVHYQ07w34ABaTVktQYuCJ0NJ4CFWFFAy…>. Anyone is welcome to copy or share it, though I would request attribution. Obviously this is a slide deck and does not include my presentation on top of it. If interest exists in having the presentation offered to a different audience or if you have any questions, please let me know. -- Evan Leibovitch, Toronto Canada @evanleibovitch / @el56

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