Session
Organizer 1: Technical Community, Eastern European Group
Organizer 2: Technical Community, Asia-Pacific Group
Organizer 3: Technical Community, Eastern European Group
Organizer 4: Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Organizer 2: Technical Community, Asia-Pacific Group
Organizer 3: Technical Community, Eastern European Group
Organizer 4: Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 1: Natalie Tercova, Technical Community, Eastern European Group
Speaker 2: Shah Zahidur Rahman, Technical Community, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 3: Emilia Zalewska, Technical Community, Eastern European Group
Speaker 4: Kathleen Scoggin, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 2: Shah Zahidur Rahman, Technical Community, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 3: Emilia Zalewska, Technical Community, Eastern European Group
Speaker 4: Kathleen Scoggin, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Format
Roundtable
Duration (minutes): 60
Format description: A roundtable or U-shape setup will help speakers interact directly with each other and the audience, making the session more dynamic and inclusive. With 60 minutes, there will be enough time for panelists to present key perspectives while allowing meaningful interaction with attendees. This setup encourages an open exchange of ideas, helping participants not just learn about the challenges and opportunities but also discuss possible solutions. The goal is to ensure that different voices are heard and that the outcomes of the session contribute to ongoing ICANN and ALAC discussions on making the internet more accessible and user-friendly.
Duration (minutes): 60
Format description: A roundtable or U-shape setup will help speakers interact directly with each other and the audience, making the session more dynamic and inclusive. With 60 minutes, there will be enough time for panelists to present key perspectives while allowing meaningful interaction with attendees. This setup encourages an open exchange of ideas, helping participants not just learn about the challenges and opportunities but also discuss possible solutions. The goal is to ensure that different voices are heard and that the outcomes of the session contribute to ongoing ICANN and ALAC discussions on making the internet more accessible and user-friendly.
Policy Question(s)
1) How does the lack of Universal Acceptance impact end users, particularly those relying on non-Latin scripts, and what steps can be taken to ensure equal access to digital services regardless of domain name or email address format?
2) What challenges do end users face when interacting with new gTLDs, and how can awareness, trust, and usability be improved to enhance adoption and security?
3) How can policymakers, businesses, and technical stakeholders work together to ensure that both Universal Acceptance and new gTLDs contribute to a more inclusive and user-friendly internet experience for diverse communities worldwide?
What will participants gain from attending this session? Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities surrounding Universal Acceptance (UA) and new gTLDs from a multi-stakeholder perspective. They will learn how the lack of UA affects internet accessibility, multilingualism, and digital inclusion, while also exploring how new gTLDs create opportunities for innovation, digital identity, and market competition. At the same time, they will gain insights into the risks, such as cybersecurity concerns, user trust issues, and adoption barriers.
The session will provide diverse regional perspectives, showcasing real-world experiences, best practices, and ongoing challenges faced in different parts of the world. Through interactive discussion, participants will leave with actionable strategies to advance UA adoption and policy frameworks, contributing to a more inclusive and secure internet.
Description:
The expansion of the Domain Name System (DNS) through new generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs) brings both opportunities and challenges for internet accessibility and security. While new gTLDs foster digital identity, market innovation, and multilingualism, their full potential is hindered by the lack of Universal Acceptance (UA)—a fundamental requirement to ensure that all domain names and email addresses function seamlessly across applications and digital platforms. UA is a back-end process that involves updating the underlying code of internet-enabled systems—such as email clients, web applications, and digital platforms—to recognize and properly handle all valid domain names and email addresses, including those using non-Latin scripts or newly introduced gTLDs. Without UA, users may face technical barriers when attempting to register or use domain names and email addresses in scripts like Arabic, Chinese, or Cyrillic, as these may not be accepted by outdated systems. By ensuring that all domain names and email addresses are correctly recognized, processed, and routed within the DNS, UA enables a more inclusive, accessible, and multilingual internet, allowing users worldwide to engage fully in the digital ecosystem without linguistic limitations. This session, organized by ALAC, ICANN community members from different Regional At-Large Organizations (RALOs), will bring together experts from government, academia, the technical community, and civil society. Through a multi-stakeholder discussion, panelists will analyze the real-world implications of UA adoption, policy gaps, and technical barriers, while evaluating the benefits and risks associated with new gTLDs. The session will take an interactive approach, presenting diverse insights, case studies, and best practices from different regions to highlight both success stories and persistent challenges. Attendees will be encouraged to engage in the conversation, contributing their perspectives on how to enhance UA and ensure that the expansion of the DNS leads to a more inclusive and secure global internet.
The expansion of the Domain Name System (DNS) through new generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs) brings both opportunities and challenges for internet accessibility and security. While new gTLDs foster digital identity, market innovation, and multilingualism, their full potential is hindered by the lack of Universal Acceptance (UA)—a fundamental requirement to ensure that all domain names and email addresses function seamlessly across applications and digital platforms. UA is a back-end process that involves updating the underlying code of internet-enabled systems—such as email clients, web applications, and digital platforms—to recognize and properly handle all valid domain names and email addresses, including those using non-Latin scripts or newly introduced gTLDs. Without UA, users may face technical barriers when attempting to register or use domain names and email addresses in scripts like Arabic, Chinese, or Cyrillic, as these may not be accepted by outdated systems. By ensuring that all domain names and email addresses are correctly recognized, processed, and routed within the DNS, UA enables a more inclusive, accessible, and multilingual internet, allowing users worldwide to engage fully in the digital ecosystem without linguistic limitations. This session, organized by ALAC, ICANN community members from different Regional At-Large Organizations (RALOs), will bring together experts from government, academia, the technical community, and civil society. Through a multi-stakeholder discussion, panelists will analyze the real-world implications of UA adoption, policy gaps, and technical barriers, while evaluating the benefits and risks associated with new gTLDs. The session will take an interactive approach, presenting diverse insights, case studies, and best practices from different regions to highlight both success stories and persistent challenges. Attendees will be encouraged to engage in the conversation, contributing their perspectives on how to enhance UA and ensure that the expansion of the DNS leads to a more inclusive and secure global internet.
Expected Outcomes
Key takeaways will include actionable recommendations for policymakers on advancing UA adoption, enhancing user trust in new gTLDs, and ensuring a more inclusive and interoperable internet. The session will also serve as a platform for cross-regional collaboration, encouraging follow-up discussions within ICANN’s At-Large community, RALOs, and other stakeholder groups. Additionally, it will play a crucial role in building awareness among end users, helping them understand the importance of UA and how it impacts their ability to navigate and utilize the internet effectively. To ensure continued impact, the session’s outcomes will be formally presented to the ICANN community and the ALAC body, feeding into policy discussions, best practice documents, and awareness-raising initiatives aimed at fostering a more accessible and user-friendly domain name ecosystem.
Hybrid Format: We will use a dedicated online Q&A platform (Mentimeter) to allow remote and in-room participants to submit questions, vote on key topics, and engage in polls in real time. The session moderator will actively monitor these inputs, ensuring that online voices are heard alongside those in the physical room. Additionally, we will designate an online rapporteur to track virtual discussions and bring key insights into the live conversation.