"Asking the FTC and OCA for their assistance in this matter is one example of how we can work with others to strengthen our consumer and business protections and enhance our ability to meet public interest goals." —Allen Grogan, Chief Contract Compliance OfficerAllen Grogan, ICANN's Chief Contract Compliance Officer, has written a blog post today concerning a formal letter it has received asking the agency to halt the rollout of .SUCKS, a new gTLD operated by Vox Populi Registry Inc. The complaint letter received by ICANN describes the proposed business practices and actions of Vox Populi "illicit" and "predatory, exploitive and coercive." As it stands, a ruling against Vox Populi by ICANN could result in federal prosecution or other legal action, according to ICANN officials.
Grogan writes: "Due to the serious nature of the allegations, we have sent letters to both the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and, because Vox Populi is a Canadian enterprise, Canada's Office of Consumer Affairs (OCA) asking them to consider assessing and determining whether or not Vox Populi is violating any of the laws or regulations those agencies enforce."
If deemed illegal, ICANN can change these practices through its contractual relationship with the registry. Akram Atallah, the president of ICANN's global domains division, told the Washington Post that ICANN is not looking to regulate the Internet more heavily, nor to crack down on Vox Populi — unless the federal government finds the company violated the law with its behavior.