The UK government is supporting a review into whether offensive words should be banned from .uk domain names. Currently Nominet – the organisation responsible for the new .uk infrastructure – does not have a policy of banning offensive words or phrases. In theory anyone can register practically anything as a website name. Last month the […]
The UK government is supporting a review into whether offensive words should be banned from .uk domain names.
Currently Nominet – the organisation responsible for the new .uk infrastructure – does not have a policy of banning offensive words or phrases.
In theory anyone can register practically anything as a website name.
Last month the Sunday Times reported that Britain is the third largest host of internet pornography in the world “including rape websites registered under the country’s official domain name”.
Since then Nominet has announced its latest review of policy and is asking f orcontributions from the public on the matter.
Nominet said “in the last week, we have worked with the Internet Watch Foundation to check the keywords they associate with illegal content against the domain names under our management”.
The review is to be independently chaired by former Director of Public Prosecutions Ken Macdonald QC. Lord Macdonald’s briefing and full terms of reference are available here.
Lord Macdonald will work with Nominet’s policy team to conduct a series of meetings with key stakeholders, and to review and assess wider contributions from the internet community, which should be received by 4 November 2013. The goal is to deliver a report to Nominet’s board in December of this year, which will be published shortly thereafter.
Click here for more information on the report
