The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is considering establishing a “dot-xxx” domain for pornography.

Family advocates say this will only worsen the problem of addiction and family breakdowns caused by Internet pornography.

This is the third time ICANN has considered a dot-xxx domain. The initiative was stopped before due to strong opposition worldwide.

Patrick Trueman, formerly chief of the U.S. Department of Justice Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, said the domain would only increase the amount of porn on the Internet and make it more available. “There is no evidence that the public wants or needs this domain,” he said. “There is also absolutely no evidence that any good would come of it.”

He said pornography addiction is skyrocketing among adult males. “Countless marriages are breaking up because of pornography use,” he said. “Sexual promiscuity is more widespread than ever before, because of pornography. It is destroying lives and relationships, and ICANN should not be using its authority to promote more of it.”

State and federal laws prohibit the sale or distribution of illegal pornography, or obscenity. Many sites violate those laws, according to Daniel Weiss, senior analyst for media and sexuality at Focus on the Family Action. He said the people who run those sites would be unlikely to adhere to the regulations of a dot-xxx domain “without the force of law behind them.”

“Moving pornographic content to a dot-xxx domain might hamper law enforcement efforts,” he explained. “The problem will be seen as settled and further ignored.”