Log InSign Up GET STARTED NEWS & MEDIA POLICY PUBLIC COMMENT RESOURCES COMMUNITY QUICKLINKS Resources About ICANN Learning Participate What ICANN Does Effect on the Internet What's Going On Now How to Participate Newcomers Program Fellowships President's Corner ICANN Management Organization Chart Staff Careers In Focus For Journalists Board Accountability Governance Groups Business Civil Society Complaints Office Domain Name System Abuse Contractual Compliance Registrars Registry Operators Domain Name Registrants GDD Metrics Identifier Systems Security, Stability and Resiliency (OCTO IS-SSR) ccTLDs Internationalized Domain Names Universal Acceptance Initiative Policy Operational Design Phase (ODP) Implementation Public Comment Root Zone KSK Rollover Technical Functions ICANN Locations Help Participate in ICANN What does ICANN do? What's the effect on the Net? What is going on now? How do I participate? To reach another person on the Internet you have to type an address into your computer - a name or a number. That address has to be unique so computers know where to find each other. ICANN coordinates these unique identifiers across the world. Without that coordination we wouldn't have a global Internet where we can find each other. That makes ICANN unique. ICANN was formed in 1998. We are a not-for-profit partnership of people from all over the world dedicated to keeping the Internet secure, stable and interoperable. We promote competition and develop policy on the Internet's unique identifiers. ICANN doesn't control content on the Internet. We can't stop spam and we don't deal with access to the Internet. But if you are interested in the names that can be used on the Internet; if you want to make sure there are enough numbers to allow the Internet to expand; if you care about how the Internet evolves and want to have a say, join ICANN. Participation is free and your contribution will be unique. YouTube Twitter LinkedIn Flickr Facebook Newsletters Community Wiki ICANN Blog Who We Are Get Started Learning Participate Groups Board President & CEO’s Corner Staff Careers Public Responsibility Contact Us Locations Global Support Report Security Issues PGP Keys Certificate Authority Registry Liaison Organizational Reviews Complaints Office For Journalists Accountability & Transparency Accountability Mechanisms Independent Review Process Request for Reconsideration Ombudsman Empowered Community Employee Anonymous Hotline Policy and Procedures Governance Documents Agreements Specific Reviews Annual Report Financials Document Disclosure Planning RFPs Litigation Correspondence Help Dispute Resolution Domain Name Dispute Resolution Name Collision Registrar Problems WHOIS Data Protection Data Privacy Practices Privacy Policy Terms of Service Cookies Policy © Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.Privacy PolicyTerms of ServiceCookies Policy A note about our terms of service: We have updated our electronic terms of service to provide greater transparency and align with laws applicable to us. Learn more. This site uses cookies to deliver an efficient user experience and to help us see how the site is used. Learn more.OK