What is ICANN?

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is an international organization that coordinates domain names, IP addresses, and other technical functions for the Internet. ICANN will be making important decisions affecting the Internet, such as creating new domains (like ".store" and ".personal"), settling trademark disputes over domain names, and setting technical parameters for the Domain Name System.

ICANN has a board of directors, three Supporting Organizations, several advisory committees, and an At-Large membership. Individuals can participate in ICANN and vote for its board of directors by joining the At-Large membership.

Anyone with an email account and postal address over the age of 16 can become a member.

ICANN will hold its first global "At-Large" election, for five new directors, starting this summer. Voter registration will likely end sometime in late July, so it's important to sign up now if you want to be part of the voting membership.

How does ICANN affect you?

ICANN regulates the Domain Name System. A domain name is more than a name. It's your stake in the global marketplace of ideas that we call the Internet. A domain name is your identity on the Internet -- it tells people who you are and how to find the information, products or services that you provide. Depending on how you use it, a domain name can be a billboard, a product label, a public service announcement, a welcome mat, a name tag, or a shop window. A domain name is your place in cyberspace.

To learn more about domain names and ICANN, click here.

Many decisions about this name space will be made by ICANN. They decide how the Internet "looks" by choosing which top level domains (ie. ".com" and ".org") you are allowed to use. They also control the number of addresses available on the Internet. If you imagine the Internet as a city with finite borders ICANN acts as the zoning authority who hands out parcels of property to interested parties.

It is important that ICANN's decisions reflect the interests of all Internet users, and respect the rights of individuals online. The more people that register to vote and contribute to the decision-making process, the better ICANN's decisions will be.

This web site will help you to become a member of ICANN. It also lets you sign up for periodic updates about ICANN and other Internet policy issues (important because ICANN's voter rolls are closed) and tell a friend how to register.

Click here to start with Step 1 to register as a member of ICANN. Warning: The ICANN registration server is experencing much activity as of late. Please come back and try again later if this link does not respond correctly.