The internet registration outfit ICAAN has blocked the sale of .org websites in a striking victory for LI’s fight to protect human rights on the internet.

Last week, after a series of delays, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the internet registration outfit, decided to block the sale of the .ORG domain (as used by Liberal International and many other NGOs, human rights organisations, and charities) from the Internet Society (ISOC) to private equity firm Ethos Capital.

In doing so, ICANN has listened to Liberal International and the more than 800 other organisations that have campaigned for the sale to be stopped.

“We welcome the decision by ICANN to block this sale, which risked having monumental consequences for civil society organisations who are already threatened by the shrinking democratic space in countries all over the world,” LI Human Rights Committee Chair Astrid Thors said.

As Liberal International asserted when the threat first emerged, this sale would have endangered the digital access of civil society organisations and NGO from around the world, putting their websites at risk of being shut down.

For example, the new owner would have had the power to suspend domain names based on accusations of “activity contrary to applicable law.” In a time of increased authoritarianism and restrictions on civil society around the globe defence of this information platform is crucial.

At a time when authoritarian regimes are exploiting coronavirus to extend their powers and shut down their critics, we are pleased that this threat to civil society has been overcome.