The International Foundation for Online Responsibility (IFFOR) is expanding its services to assist applicants for new gTLDs to develop policies that maximise their benefit to global internet users, domain holders and domain registry operators.
The IFFOR was originally established to develop policy for the .XXX TLD and included leading global figures in internet security, online child protection and freedom of expression. Now the IFFOR has reviewed its strategy at the end of its first year of operation and has made a few changes including appointing former ICANN staffer and domain industry journalist and blogger Kieren McCarthy as its new Executive Director, formerly the organisationâs manager of public participation.
“I’m looking forward to talking to people about how we can get ahead of the issues that new gTLDs will bring with them. It’s going to be an exciting few years,” McCarthy told Domain Pulse.
With the introduction of what the IFFOR calls a âpolicy engineâ, the organisation says theyâve recognised a significant policy gap exists for new gTLD registries, a gap that has also been identified by business groups and government representatives.
So the IFFOR sees the creation of thousands of new gTLDs as an opportunity to contribute its expertise as a policy-making organisation and to strengthen the industryâs self-regulatory model.
Among the last of the changes, the current Executive Director Joan Irvine will move to a consulting role.