The Fourteenth Annual Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) is taking place in Berlin, Germany, from 25 to 29 November 2019. Members of the ICANN Community, Board, and organization will participate in the event, hosted by the Government of Germany at Estrel Congress Center. This year's theme, "One World. One Net. One Vision." intersects […]

Community-driven work is at the core of ICANN's mission. Our community spends countless hours in working groups within ICANN's Supporting Organizations, Advisory Committees, and other groups, including the Customer Standing Committee, the Empowered Community Administration, and the Nominating Committee. Collectively, these community groups develop, advise on, and refine policies and processes that ensure the security, […]

As ICANN66 comes to an end, so does an era. Nearly a decade ago, the Nominating Committee appointed Cherine Chalaby to serve on the ICANN Board of Directors. Since that time, ICANN has changed tremendously, becoming a trusted partner in the Internet governance ecosystem and bringing new stakeholders into our global community. Throughout it all, […]

As we close 2019 with ICANN66 in Montréal, Canada, we now focus on the new year for ICANN67 in Cancún, Mexico.  It has been 10 years now since we had an ICANN meeting in Mexico. We are glad that our vibrant community will have the opportunity to visit the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region […]

Canada has been instrumental in the development of the ICANN community. It is home to one of the first country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) and was one of the first members of the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC). As the home country of ICANN66, this is the perfect time to reflect on the history of Canada’s […]

  Montréal, the second most populated city in Canada, has an old-world charm that embraces both history and modern culture. As the ICANN community gathers for the Annual General Meeting, read on to learn more about this culturally diverse city hosting our work this week. 1. It’s the birthplace of what’s generally thought to be […]

  Bonjour! Welcome to ICANN’s 66th Public Meeting, which is being held in Montréal, Canada. ICANN’s last Public Meeting held in Canada, ICANN45 in Toronto, was back in 2012. Quite a lot has changed since then. ICANN Public Meetings are a vital part of the multistakeholder process. Much of the work we do happens digitally, […]

As you’re aware, ICANN has commitments to and requirements for accountability and transparency. Current and easy-to-find information in all six U.N. languages is a vital part of achieving those commitments. ICANN.org is one of the avenues where we demonstrate and meet those obligations. It is our publicly-facing system of record for policies and Bylaws. We […]

ICANN has decided to use the hotel's own Wi-Fi networks rather than creating ICANN's service set identifiers (SSIDs) at the hotel sites. The hotel manages and brands in-room Wi-Fi networks that appear as ICANN networks using a SSID; however, ICANN does not manage, own, or control these networks. Therefore, continuing to offer it as an […]

As we prepare for a public session during ICANN66 in Montreal, on Monday 4 November 2019, I would like to share the ICANN Board's current thoughts regarding enhancing and streamlining ICANN's reviews. To give more context, reviews are an important component of ICANN's multistakeholder model; they provide a vehicle for continuous improvement. ICANN's current approach […]

A more secure Internet: Let’s Encrypt, the nonprofit certificate authority, has helped the percentage of websites protected with HTTPS encryption jump from 40 percent in 2016 to 80 percent now, TechXplore notes. The free certificate service has “turned the implementation of HTTPS from a costly, complicated process to an easy step that’s within reach for […]

Starting Saturday, November 16, 2019, the 106th meeting of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) will begin in Singapore. Over 1,000 engineers from around the world will gather in the convention center to join together in the debates and discussions that will advance the open standards that make the Internet possible. They are gathered, in […]

By next year, five Internet of Things (IoT) devices are projected to be in use for every person on the planet. IoT devices offer endless opportunities to improve productivity, economic growth, and quality of life. Think smart cities, self-driving cars, and the ways connected medical devices can monitor our health. The potential growth of IoT […]

Today marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the .ORG Community.  Earlier today, the Internet Society and Public Interest Registry (PIR) announced that they have reached an agreement with Ethos Capital, an investment firm that helps transform and grow companies in today’s rapidly evolving digital economy, under which Ethos Capital will acquire PIR […]

It doesn’t immediately make sense, does it: the terms peace and cyber hygiene in the same breath. Still, there is a reason why these two come together at the Paris Peace forum this week. That reason is simple though. Cyber hygiene – taking basic and common measures to secure software, devices, and networks – reduces […]

I’m writing to the Internet Society community today with a notice that there is a key change to the Procedures for Selecting Trustees starting this year.  This change reduces the duration of voting period from 28 to 14 days in the Internet Society Board of Trustees elections through which Chapters and Organization Members get to […]

Forging ahead: Facebook plans to move ahead with plans to expand encryption despite concerns from law enforcement agencies that it will be used by criminals, the New York Times reports. Facebook’s decision to expand encryption across its Messenger platform comes after complaints by top law enforcement officials in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia […]

Global Internet freedom declined for the ninth consecutive year in 2019, largely as a result of social media increasingly being used by governments around the world as a conduit for mass surveillance and electoral manipulation. The Freedom on the Net 2019 report, the latest edition of the annual country-by-country assessment of Internet freedom, was released […]

In a bid to improve digital accessibility in Pakistan – a country with about 30 million persons with disability (PWDs), according to the World Health Organization –  we recently partnered with the Ministry of IT (MoIT) and the National IT Board (NITB) so that more existing government websites could include accessibility features and future websites […]

Ever wonder if your next doctor’s appointment will result in jail time? Luckily most of us never have to think about that. But LGBT Tech Executive Director Chris Wood says for people in countries where their truth is outlawed, the prospect of finding a trusted healthcare provider without encrypted messaging apps is worse than grim. […]