Changes

The complaints by [[ANA]], The National Retail Federation, the [[U.S. Congress]], the [[FTC]], and other prominent groups resulted in many Internet commentators and journalists to come out against both ICANN and its new gTLD program. Examples of such material can be found [http://www.kernelmag.com/comment/opinion/2012/01/its-time-to-place-the-web-in-safer-hands/ here] and [http://paidcontent.org/article/419-new-internet-names-feared-loathed-by-all/ here].

The complaints by [[ANA]], The National Retail Federation, the [[U.S. Congress]], the [[FTC]], and other prominent groups resulted in many Internet commentators and journalists to come out against both ICANN and its new gTLD program. Examples of such material can be found [http://www.kernelmag.com/comment/opinion/2012/01/its-time-to-place-the-web-in-safer-hands/ here] and [http://paidcontent.org/article/419-new-internet-names-feared-loathed-by-all/ here].

== New gTLD Senate and House of Representatives Hearings ==

=== New gTLD Senate and House of Representatives Hearings ===

On December 8, [[U.S. Congress|the U.S. Senate]] Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a hearing, lobbied for by [[ANA]], regarding to ICANN's new gTLD program. Speakers included Senior Vice President of ICANN, [[Kurt Pritz]]; [[Fiona Alexander]], Associate Administrator of the Office of International Affairs at [[NTIA]]; [[Dan Jaffe]], Executive Vice President of Government Relations for ANA; [[Esther Dyson]], who served as ICANN's Founding Chairman (1998-2000), speaking as an independent investor; and Senior Vice President and General Counsel of the YMCA [[Angela Williams]], speaking on behalf of [[NPOC]].<ref>[http://www.circleid.com/posts/20111208_us_senate_committee_holds_hearing_on_icanns_new_tld_expansion/  US Senate Committee Holds Hearing on ICANN's New TLD Expansion, circleid.com]</ref> Senate officials present included: Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-WV); Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn), Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.),<ref>[http://adage.com/article/digital/senate-implores-icann-slow-roll/231478/ Senate Implores ICANN to Slow Its Roll but Admits It Can't Do Anything to Stop It, adage.com]</ref> and Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash).

On December 8, [[U.S. Congress|the U.S. Senate]] Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a hearing, lobbied for by [[ANA]], regarding to ICANN's new gTLD program. Speakers included Senior Vice President of ICANN, [[Kurt Pritz]]; [[Fiona Alexander]], Associate Administrator of the Office of International Affairs at [[NTIA]]; [[Dan Jaffe]], Executive Vice President of Government Relations for ANA; [[Esther Dyson]], who served as ICANN's Founding Chairman (1998-2000), speaking as an independent investor; and Senior Vice President and General Counsel of the YMCA [[Angela Williams]], speaking on behalf of [[NPOC]].<ref>[http://www.circleid.com/posts/20111208_us_senate_committee_holds_hearing_on_icanns_new_tld_expansion/  US Senate Committee Holds Hearing on ICANN's New TLD Expansion, circleid.com]</ref> Senate officials present included: Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-WV); Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn), Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.),<ref>[http://adage.com/article/digital/senate-implores-icann-slow-roll/231478/ Senate Implores ICANN to Slow Its Roll but Admits It Can't Do Anything to Stop It, adage.com]</ref> and Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash).