[Chapter-delegates] FYI - ISOC statement about on Internet blocking measures in Catalonia, Spain

[Thomas Lowenhaupt]

**

*The .cat evolution is something I’ve followed for over a decade. As a 
proponent of city TLDs and an advocate for the .nyc TLD, the process 
that enabled .cat’s issuance intrigued me.*

*

The ICANN perspective on .cat’s issuance was cogently expressed by Vint, 
“ICANN asked the governments of spain and andorra whether they had any 
objections and both responded that they did not object.” Today, as the 
Iberian Peninsular smoulders, I’ll comment only on the .cat issuance 
process, noting that ‘non-objection’ is too weak a form of approval.


Having witnessed how ill-prepared New York City was for the development 
of the .nyc TLD, I’ve urged over the past few years at several ICANN 
fora that ‘informed consent’ be adopted as the standard for approval of 
  geographic and cultural TLDs. Seemingly to little avail.


The .cat situation makes it apparent that ICANN is playing with fire 
when they issue geographic and cultural TLDs. Had they not been 
distracted fighting various wars, I suspect .Kurds would have been 
issued and now be playing a central role in a new regional realignment, 
with its impact measured by battlefield statistics.


If ICANN can't institute responsible issuance standards for geographic 
and cultural TLDs, perhaps its time to remove these life and death 
digital resources from its purview.

Tom Lowenhaupt

*

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On 9/22/2017 11:43 AM, Dan York wrote:
> Chapter delegates,
>
> FYI, yesterday we published a statement expressing our concern about 
> measures taken in Spain to block access to certain websites and, 
> perhaps more concerning, to require a top-level domain (TLD) operator 
> to engage in content monitoring and blocking.
>
> This is a tense time politically in Spain with an independence 
> referendum having been called for October 1 in the Catalonia region 
> which the central Spanish government views as illegal. We do not want 
> to get involved in the politics of the situation, but are concerned by 
> the manner in which the Internet is being restricted. As we have 
> repeatedly stated, we do not see Internet blocking / shutdowns as 
> effective measures and believe they cause far more collateral damage 
> to the economy and society.
>
> Please do note that in developing this statement Frédéric Donck and 
> his European Bureau team did interact directly with ISOC Catalonia 
> Chapter leaders to understand the situation there.
>
> Please do read and share our statement:
>
> https://www.internetsociety.org/news/statements/2017/internet-society-statement-internet-blocking-measures-catalonia-spain/
>
> https://www.internetsociety.org/es/news/declarationes/2017/declaracion-de-internet-society-sobre-medidas-de-bloqueo-de-internet-en-cataluna-espana/ 
>
>
> Shared on social at:
>
> https://twitter.com/internetsociety/status/910995196405518336
> https://www.facebook.com/InternetSociety/posts/10154627959548239
>
> Regards,
> Dan
>
>
> --
> Dan York
> Senior Manager, Content & Web Strategy, Internet Society
> york at isoc.org <mailto:york at isoc.org>   +1-802-735-1624
> Jabber: york at jabber.isoc.org <mailto:york at jabber.isoc.org> 
>  Skype: danyork http://twitter.com/danyork
>
> http://www.internetsociety.org/
>
>
>
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