VPN.com CEO Urges ICANN to Review ccTLD Policy After Censorship

ATLANTA and WASHINGTON, Jan. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- VPN.com Domain Advisor CEO Michael Gargiulo is calling on the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to revisit its policy regarding country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) when governments engage in internet shutdowns and violence on to their own citizens with civilian casualties. In a bold recommendation, Gargiulo suggests that ICANN establish thresholds based on internet censorship and loss of life to trigger consequences for nations involved in coordinated black outs and citizen casualties, including potential removal or temporary restriction of their ccTLDs from the root zone.

"ICANN has a unique responsibility in shaping global internet policy," Gargiulo stated. "But that responsibility should consider government-coordinated censorship and violence on that nation's citizens. When countries actively censor their people or restrict their internet, usually during times of tension, their access to the global internet infrastructure should be reviewed and ccTLD access possibly suspended."

Introducing Accountability to Internet Governance

While peaceful diplomatic resolutions remain the global priority, Gargiulo mentioned a tiered accountability structure for ccTLDs during significant restrictions.

• If the government coordinated death toll exceeds a predetermined amount the ccTLD should be considered for temporary or permanent removal from the DNS root zone.
• If the government imposes an Internet shutdown or otherwise routinely restricts citizens from accessing the open internet, this should trigger temporary or permanent removal from the DNS root zone.

This isn't about punishing a country's people, Gargiulo emphasizes, it's about promoting peace and diplomacy through the digital economy.

"The internet as a whole, including increasingly used ccTLDs, are economic tools," he said. "They power businesses, facilitate international trade, and enable governments to collect digital revenues. If a government chooses censorship and large-scale human rights violations, they shouldn't benefit from the infrastructure the peaceful world provides."

ccTLDs as Economic Leverage

Gargiulo points out that ccTLDs such as .ru (Russia, 5.8M domains), .ve (Venezuela, 23K domains), .ir (Iran, 1.397M domains) and .kp (North Korea, 72 domains) continue to operate despite active sanctions and international conflict. Yet their digital infrastructure remains intact.

"ICANN has the power to support diplomatic pressure," Gargiulo noted. "Targeted domain-level sanctions could be one of the most effective, non-violent levers of influence that truly hasn't been explored as a means of driving peace."

Read More About VPN.com: Related commentary on domain names, internet access, and global market impact can be found in Entrepreneur and Forbes, where Gargiulo continues to advocate for stronger domain policy leadership at the intersection of tech and international affairs.

Gargiulo and Sharjil Saleem lead the VPN.com Premium Domain Broker team, the only domain experts to spend $1 million on their own domain name. For more details about VPN.com domain advisory services please visit: vpn.com/domain-broker.

For Media Inquiries:
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SOURCE VPN.com