XXX Domain

 

For the past ten years, promoters of the .xxx domain have tried to convince ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, to establish the new web domain in hopes of creating another avenue to access pornography. If created, the .xxx domain name would be its own specific domain category for adult web sites that contain sexual content. While the domain proposal is being reviewed, critics on both sides have been making their voices heard. 

Some claim that approving the domain would act as a filter, by letting people know ahead of time what type of website they are about to enter, if they type or click on a .xxx domain name, while others feel that allowing the proposal to go through would supply a certain level of legitimacy and moral authority to the industry of pornography. 

Public arguments in favor of the domain name claim that creating an .xxx domain will give people free will and the personal power in their decision making of whether or not they would like to view specific content. The argument also proposes that there would be no more confusion about what type of website someone would be clicking on, especially if it has an obscure name, because they would automatically know, by the “.xxx”, that they were about to be exposed to adult sexual content. 

One public figure who adamantly disapproves of the web domain is former U.S. Department of Justice pornography prosecutor Patrick Trueman. Trueman, who was the former chief of the U.S. Department of Justice Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, under Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush, feels that, “not one sound argument has been put forward for why the world needs more Internet pornography,” and believes that, “the .xxx domain should be killed and a stake driven through its heart so that it never rises again.” Trueman feels that instead of an .xxx domain, the public should “begin a war on pornography, and call a halt to the widespread distribution of pornographic material.” 

Trueman explains that there are four major harms from pornography; harm to children, violence to women, men, women and children become addicted and increased sex trafficking. He is now leading a nationwide effort, called the “War on Illegal Pornography”, that is designed to have the U.S. Department of Justice enforce Federal laws against illegal pornography.

Craig Gross, founder of xxxchurch.com, a website dedicated to helping people who are addicted to sex and pornography, has different feelings about the .xxx domain. “I am not a fan of porn, but I feel that Trueman may be wasting his time with this fight. Porn will exist on the internet whether they have .xxx or not. While Trueman is correct in his findings about how porn harms people, it will still harm people even if they don’t get the .xxx domain,” explains Gross. “Currently, there are over 260 million web pages on the internet. 70% of all internet porn traffic occurs during the 9-5 work day, and nearly one out of three companies has terminated an employee for inappropriate web use. The .xxx could be a great thing if we could get all the porn moved off the .com’s and .net’s and only on the .xxx, but that will never happen. I have the largest site on the internet to help people get away from porn – and I believe that is the fight worth fighting.”

For now, .xxx promoters continue their fight to get the domain name passed, although ICANN rejected the idea the first time in 2000, they approved the domain in 2005 only to then reverse their decision after an objection was brought about by the Bush Administration. 

Though only time will tell if pornographic material will gets its very own “official” spot on the  internet, Gross offers up advice for where the fight on pornography should be headed in the meantime. “XXXChurch.com, for instance, is here to help people who want help from pornography. As Christians, I think we need to stop fighting against ‘things’ and start with helping people.”

For more information please visit, www.pornharms.com or www.xxxchurch.com.

 

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