ICANN Internationalized Domain Names

ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, announced on Friday that Internet addresses containing non-latin characters from start to finish will be available soon. Starting November 16, 2009, ICANN has indicated that nations and territories may apply for Internet extensions in their native languages. ICANN’s President & CEO, Rod Beckstrom, indicates that this is only the first step. An Internationalized Domain Name, or IDN, has been touted to be a historic move by many, and one of the largest changes to the current Internet landscape in recent history. Detractors have indicated that the change could open the door for fraudulent activity, as there is potential for confusion and for fraudsters to use domains close to those of legitimate business.

Tagged as: domains, ICANN, IDN, Internationalized Domain Name, non-latin characters