[Expression] [governance] ICANN Board Vote Signals Era of Censorship in Domain Na

[Horacio T. Cadiz]

Milton Mueller wrote:

>> I also think it has become crystal clear that TLDs which
>> ombination of letters might confront resistance (of cultural,
>> legal or similar nature) in one or more countries or
>> communities, should in principle be discarded
>
> Completely wrong, imho.
> I understand that you are trying to show respect for different
> cultures, etc. But the true effect of trying to do so is simply to
> immobilize everyone. If everyone has a veto on what is published,
> nothing is published.

   How then is it to be balanced in the gTLD? In the end, even if only the most
meaningless groups of letters and numbers will ever get registered in a gTLD,
the fact is that censorship won't stop there.

   For example, if a pro-Nazi group in Germany registers its "hitlerisgod" domain
under the .PH domain, do you think the controversy would end because it is not
in a gTLD?

   Should we not forget the precept that the answer to "bad speech" is not the
curtailment of "free speech" but in the propagation of "good speech." Both "good
speech" and "bad speech" die when there is no "free speech."

--
Bombim Cadiz
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