ICANN through the Decades
ICANN in the 1990s edit
year | Nontechnical events | technical events | consequential meetings | key figures | CEO & Chair of the Board | Key Moments | Sources |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1997 | The International Ad Hoc Committee dissolves, producing a gTLD MoU as its final report, with 226 signatories | IAHC History, ISOC | |||||
Framework for Global Electronic Commerce directs the Secretary of Commerce to privatize the management of the DNS to increase competition and facilitate international participation in its management. | Ira Magaziner | ||||||
original DNSSEC released | |||||||
GoDaddy is founded | Bob Parsons | ||||||
1998 | the DOC publishes the White Paper, aka 63 Fed. Reg. 31741 aka the Statement of Policy, on the privatization of the technical management of the DNS | - | Michael Roberts & Esther Dyson | ICANN Transition Agreements | |||
The Green Paper, formally titled "A Proposal to Improve the Technical Management of Internet Names and Addresses," was released by the NTIA in the Federal Register | |||||||
MoU between US DoC and ICANN, completing the transition to Private (non-government sector) | Joe Sims, J. Beckwith Burr | ||||||
NSF ends direct role in Internet | |||||||
ICANN is incorporated | George Conrades, Gregory Crew, Frank Fitzsimmons, Hans Kraaijenbrink, Eugenio Triana, Linda S. Wilson, Geraldine Capdeboscq, Jun Murai, Joe Sims, Michael Weinberg, Zita Wenzel, Michael Roberts | Board Minutes, 10/25/1998 | |||||
first ICANN Board Meeting | |||||||
1999 | Shared Registry System goes into effect | Michael Roberts & Esther Dyson | ICANN testbed window | ||||
DNSO is created as is the "[Non-Commercial Domain Name Holders Constituency," the only non-business interest group in the DNSO | DNSO Directors: Amadeu Abril i Abril (Spain), Jonathan Cohen (Canada), Alejandro Pisanty (Mexico), NCDNHC: Milton Mueller, Kathy Kleiman | ||||||
ICANN Bylaws include establishment of ASO, PSO, DNSO | Beginning of Ad Hoc Era | ||||||
ASO is created, indicating the beginning of global policymaking about IP address delegation | APNIC, ARIN, and RIPE NCC join ASO, sign MoU | ASO Directors: Rob Blokzijl (Netherlands), Ken Fockler (Canada), Sang-Hyon Kyong (South Korea) | |||||
UDRP is approved | |||||||
RSSAC is created | Bill Manning, Paul Vixie, Gerry Sneeringer, James Fielding, Maurizio Binello, Doug Engebretson, Piet Barber, David Conrad, Mark Kosters, Lars-Johan Liman, Ray Plzak, Akira Kato, Daniel Karrenberg | RSSAC Minneapolis meeting | |||||
GAC is created | |||||||
the Statement of Registrar Accreditation Policy is adopted | Vertical Separation Era | ||||||
PSO is created | PSO Directors: Helmut Schink (Germany), Vint Cerf (USA), Phil Davidson (U.K.) |
ICANN in the 2000s edit
year | Nontechnical events | technical events | consequential meetings | key figures | CEO & Chair of the Board | Key Moments | focus | sources |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2000 | IANA function contract signed between NTIA and ICANN | Michael Roberts & Esther Dyson/Vint Cerf | Beginning of IANA Functions Contract Era | IANA Functions Contract Era: 2000-2016 | - | |||
At-Large Membership elects five directors for the ICANN Board of Directors, one for each geographic region | ICANN 6 | At-Large Directors: Karl Auerbach (USA), Ivan Moura Campos (Brazil), Frank Fitzsimmons (USA), Masanobu Katoh (Japan), Hans Kraaijenbrink (Netherlands), Andy Mueller-Maguhn (Germany), Jun Murai (Japan), Nii Quaynor (Ghana), Linda Wilson (USA) | ICANN Studienkreis 2001 | |||||
First Round of New gTLD Expansion begins | ICANN 5 | |||||||
2001 | the birth of the Evolution & Reform Committee | - | Michael Roberts/Stuart Lynn & Vint Cerf | - | ||||
following 9/11, first ICANN AGM to focus entirely on the security and stability of the DNS | ICANN 11 | |||||||
2002 | First mention of ICANN's mission and core values make into the ICANN Bylaws | ICANN 13, ICANN 14 | Jaap Akkerhuis, Rita Rodin Johnston, Steve Crocker (2002-2010) | Stuart Lynn & Vint Cerf | Beginning of ICANN Reform Era | ICANN (re)formation Era: 2002-2005 | ||
the Evolution and Reform Process, which also initates an overhaul of the structures and operations that comprise the ICANN community, organization, and board | ||||||||
LACNIC joins ASO | ||||||||
SSAC formed | ||||||||
GNSO replaces DNSO | ||||||||
PDP formally established | ||||||||
the ICANN Board passes a resolution stating a strong position for the implementation of strict separation of registries and registrars for new gTLDs and prohibiting co-ownership | ||||||||
2003 | first GAC correspondence tells nations and territories to reserve their names in .info TLD | ICANN 15, ICANN 17 | Peter Dengate Thrush, Mohamed Sharil Tarmizi, Hans Kraaijenbrink, Chris Disspain | Stuart Lynn/Paul Twomey & Vint Cerf | - | |||
first protocol for Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) by the Internet Engineering Task Force | ||||||||
The NRO is established to coordinate the world’s Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) | ||||||||
The ccNSO is created for and by ccTLD Managers. | ||||||||
NomCom is formed | ||||||||
ALAC, with interim members, is established | ||||||||
2004 | first Ombudsman | - | - | Frank Fowlie | Paul Twomey & Vint Cerf | - | ||
2005 | ICANNWiki is founded | Raymond King | Paul Twomey & Vint Cerf | End of ICANN's Reform Era | - | |||
AfriNIC joins ASO | Tarek Kamel, Adiel Akplogan | |||||||
The new DNSSEC edition, which is widely used today, is released | ||||||||
2006 | Board directs staff to post a Notice of Intent to Advance Implementation New gTLD Process; | - | ICANN 25 | Elise Gerich, Jonathan Robinson | Paul Twomey & Vint Cerf | second round of nTLDs | ICANN Board Resolution - Notice of Intent to Advance Implementation of New gTLD Process, March 31, 2006 | |
ICANN Board approves settlement agreements with Verisign over the SiteFinder litigation | ICANN 24 | |||||||
2007 | First Organizational Reviews | - | - | - | Paul Twomey & Vint Cerf/Peter Dengate Thrush | Beginning of Seemingly Infinite Reviews | ||
Acknowledgement of Completion of Joint Project Agreement and Signing of Affirmation of Commitments | ICANN 29 | |||||||
Fellowship Program begins | ICANN 30 | |||||||
2008 | GAC begins providing ICANN with consensus advice on new TLDs | - | - | Paul Twomey & Peter Dengate Thrush | Beginning of Transition to Vertical Integration | History of Vertical Separation | ||
2009 | Completion of First GNSO Organizational Review reveals need for significant changes | |||||||
call for First Accountability and Transparency Review | ICANN 36 | Paul Twomey/Rod Beckstrom & Peter Dengate Thrush | Beginning of Accountability and Transparency Era | |||||
IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process is ICANN Board approved and launched | ICANN 36 | IDN Fast Track WG | ||||||
"Scaling the root" study findings released: possible root zone growing pains due to: ICANN policy decisions concerning extensive DNSSEC deployment, IDNs, IPv6, and the sudden addition of many new TLDs | ICANN 35 | Jaap Akkerhuis, Lyman Chapin, Patrik Fältström, Glenn Kowack, Lars-Johan Liman, Bill Manning | ICANN begins preparing to grow | Root Scaling Study Report |
ICANN in the 2010s edit
year | Nontechnical events | technical events | consequential meetings | key figures | CEO & Chair of the Board | Key Moments | sources |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | The GNSO and the GNSO Council changed, becoming bicameral, and each of its two houses also become bicameral; the overarching difference between the houses is now one of contract with ICANN | - | ICANN 37 | - | Rod Beckstrom & Peter Dengate Thrush | GNSO Structure Archive, ICANN | |
ICANN Board holds special meeting to permit vertical integration | ICANN 38 | ||||||
First Specific Reviews | |||||||
The first IDN TLDs are delegated | |||||||
2011 | ICANN approves .xxx | - | ICANN 40, ICANN 41 | Stuart Lawley, Heather Dryden | Rod Beckstrom & Peter Dengate Thrush/Steve Crocker | ||
The ICANN Newcomer Program was launched | ICANN 40 | ||||||
Foundation of NPOC | ICANN 41 | ||||||
ICANN Board approves plan to significantly increase number of gTLDs | ICANN 41 | ||||||
GAC corresponds with ICANN Board via "scorecards" shaping the Applicant Guidebook root zone scaling, and the handling of potentially objectionable TLD applications, before the New TLD Program was launched | Board/GAC consultations on nTLDs | ||||||
2012 | Whois becomes a lightening rod | ICANN 43 | Tarek Kamel (2012-2019), Ram Mohan | Rod Beckstrom/Akram Atallah/Fadi Chehadé & Steve Crocker | Beginning of the New gTLD Program | About SAC055, Security Week | |
The New gTLD Program begins | ICANN 43 | ||||||
a working group related to the European Commission sent a letter to ICANN warning that its proposed additions to the RAA would infringe on European Privacy laws | ICANN 45 | Beginning of Data Privacy Era | |||||
2013 | ICANN releases updated RAA to protect registrants and improve the reputation of the domain name industry | - | ICANN 46 | - | Fadi Chehadé & Steve Crocker | 2013 RAA, ICANN blog | |
2014 | ICANN's office in L.A. is diminished and two new hubs for international constituents opened in Singapore and Istanbul | ICANN 49 | Sally Costerton | Fadi Chehadé & Steve Crocker | - | ||
IETF, IAB, RIRs, ccTLD ROs, ICANN, ISOC, and W3C welcome IANA Globalization Progress | |||||||
Expansion of ICANN's Regional Stakeholder Engagement, Office of Global Engagement | |||||||
NextGen@ICANN initiative started with NetMission Ambassadors | ICANN 49 | ||||||
2015 | ICANN establishes Global Support Centers; expansion of ICANN Language Services scope | - | Seda Akbulut, Tammy Yeow, Ajay Data, Abdalmonem Tharwat Galila, Maria Kolesnikova, Lilian Ivette De Luque Bruges | Fadi Chehadé & Steve Crocker | Beginning of Digital Inclusion Era | - | |
The Universal Acceptance SG is founded | |||||||
brainstorming about DART/DAAR system begins | ICANN 54 | Dave Piscitello | GNSO Webinar on ICANN Domain Abuse Reporting Tool project | ||||
2016 | First mention of "multistakeholder process" makes it into ICANN Bylaws due to the work of ICG and the CCWG-IG; | Bertrand de la Chapelle | Fadi Chehadé /Akram Atallah/[Göran Marby]] & Steve Crocker | 2016 ICANN Bylaws, Public Comment, April 21, 2016 | |||
Public Technical Identifiers is formed to oversee the operation of the IANA Functions | |||||||
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is adopted; | |||||||
the Internet & Jurisdiction Policy Network holds first global conference on "Legal Interoperability" | |||||||
ICANN adopted new Bylaws that strengthen the Internet community's Accountability Mechanisms vis-à-vis ICANN org; | |||||||
ICANN Kicks Off Open Data Initiative | Edward Lewis, Matt Larson | ||||||
2017 | Third Accountability and Transparency Review | - | - | Göran Marby & Cherine Chalaby | - | ||
IANA functions transition complete | |||||||
Last of New gTLDs Delegated | |||||||
the Board approved the Information Transparency Initiative | David Olive | ||||||
First DAAR Report is released | ICANN 59 | John Crain | |||||
2018 | GDPR becomes enforcable | - | - | - | Göran Marby & Cherine Chalaby | ||
The ICANN Board adopts the Temporary Specification for gTLD Registration Data to comply with the European Union's GDPR without breaking existing ICANN contractual requirements and community-developed policies. | ICANN 61 | ICANN Board resolves to adopt Temporary Specification | |||||
Geographic Regions Review Working Group Recommendations Mapping Document is accepted by board, emphasizing the general principle of geographic diversity is valuable and should be preserved | |||||||
2019 | planning the evolution of ICANN's Multistakeholder Model (MSM) begins | - | ICANN 64, ICANN 65 | Brian Cute | Göran Marby & Cherine Chalaby/Maarten Botterman | Beginning of Evolution of ICANN's MSM |
ICANN in the 2020s edit
year | Nontechnical events | technical events | consequential meetings | key figures | CEO & Chair of the Board | Key Moments | sources |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | ICANN announces that all gTLDs now deploy DNSSEC | - | Göran Marby & Maarten Botterman | Beginning of Effort to Streamline ICANN | - | ||
ICANN Board approves suspending any further Whois/RDS Reviews | ICANN 69 | ||||||
ICANN Board approves converting the org reviews into "continuous improvement" programs | |||||||
ICANN Board approves delaying specific reviews until the next ATRT | |||||||
ICANN Board approves creating a holistic review | |||||||
2021 | Prioritization of ICANN's Work Project gets underway | ICANN 70 | Becky Nash, Xavier Calvez | Göran Marby & Maarten Botterman | ICANN Strategic Plan FY21-FY25 | ||
ICANN org released the new ITI search experience for over 38,000 pages and files on https://icann.org, focusing on making the following searchable and more easily accessible on mobile devices: Accredited Registrars, Acronyms and ICANN Terms, Announcements, Blogs, ICANN News Subscriptions, Registry Agreements and released a much more interactive Public Comment feature and a style guide for the SO/AC websites | - | ICANN 71 | |||||
DNS Security Threat Mitigation Program is launched | ICANN 70, ICANN 71 | - | |||||
Transfer Policy Review likelly to lead to fewer requirements for gaining and maybe losing parties, expedited by GDPR | ICANN 71 |