Press Release: ICANN To Address Future of Digital Identity and Fragmentation Threats at Web Summit

LOS ANGELES - 6 November 2025 - The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the nonprofit organization that coordinates the Internet's Domain Name System (DNS), will lead critical discussions on the future of digital identity through the upcoming expansion of generic top-level domains (gTLDs) and the escalating geopolitical debate over the Internet's governance at this year's Web Summit in Lisbon, Portugal.

Web Summit attendees are invited to join ICANN for the following sessions:

• The Geopolitics of the Internet: Unity or Division? (11 November from 15:20-15:45 Western European Time at Stage 13 in Government Summit): ICANN President and CEO, Kurtis Lindqvist, Internet Society President and CEO, Sally Wentworth, and The National Interest Editor-at-Large, Steve Clemons, will explore how global collaboration across borders can protect against geopolitical pressures, and why the outcome will determine whether the Internet remains a shared resource or fragments into competing systems.
• Revolutionize Your Online Presence with a New Domain (11 November from 11:30-12:15 WET at Masterclass 5): Join ICANN's Theresa Swinehart, Senior Vice President of Global Domains and Strategy, Nisha Parkash, Head of Domain Management, Sky Group, and Patrick Hauss, Regional Director of France, CSC to learn how custom domains can enhance brand visibility, security, and customer experience. This session is tailored for CMOs, brand leaders, and CTOs preparing for the next round of gTLD applications in April 2026.

This is a pivotal moment for the digital world. The future of the Internet and its governance are at stake, as innovation and opportunities abound. During ICANN's sessions, participants will learn why it's critical that we, as a society, never take the Internet for granted or allow it to fragment, and how organizations can secure and protect their own unique identities on this global accessible resource.

ICANN is preparing to launch the New gTLD Program: 2026 Round. The application window, expected to open in April 2026, presents an opportunity for businesses, communities, and organizations to acquire their own unique gTLDs. A custom gTLD, such as .brand or .city, serves as a powerful tool to enhance brand visibility, build consumer trust, and foster innovation in a crowded online marketplace. The 2026 Round will expand the availability of Internationalized Domain Names, making the Internet more accessible and inclusive for non-Latin script users.

"This next round of new gTLDs represents a significant milestone in the Internet's evolution," said Kurtis Lindqvist, President and CEO of ICANN. "We are empowering organizations to create their own unique digital identities, fostering competition and consumer choice. At the same time, we must be vigilant in protecting the multistakeholder model of Internet governance that makes this innovation possible. At Web Summit, we look forward to engaging with global leaders on both the opportunities ahead and the threats we must collectively address to ensure a single, open, and interoperable Internet for the next generation."

For more information on the New gTLD Program: 2026 Round, please visit: https://newgtldprogram.icann.org/.

About ICANN

ICANN's mission is to help ensure a stable, secure, and unified global Internet. To reach another person on the Internet, you need to type an address - a name or a number - into your computer or other device. That address must be unique so computers know where to find each other. ICANN helps coordinate and support these unique identifiers across the world. ICANN was formed in 1998 as a nonprofit public benefit corporation with a community of participants from all over the world.

Media Contact

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