ICANN opens public consultation on procedures to prevent name collisions in the 2026 gTLD round
ICANN is asking for public input on new procedural documents that explain how risks related to name collisions will be assessed in the 2026 round of new generic top-level domains. The consultation focuses on how potentially harmful domain strings will be identified and managed before they are introduced into the DNS.
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers has launched a public comment process on its proposed Name Collision Procedure Documentation for the New gTLD Program: 2026 Round. The documentation explains how ICANN plans to assess and manage the risk of name collisions for new domain strings applied for in the upcoming round.
In simple terms, a name collision occurs when a domain name that is used internally, for example, within private networks or corporate systems, is later introduced into the public Domain Name System. If this happens without safeguards, internet traffic intended for internal systems can be misdirected, potentially leading to technical disruptions, security incidents, or unintended data exposure.
To address these risks, ICANN is developing procedures that will apply to every applied-for domain string, including variant strings. The public consultation covers three core procedures. The first sets out how an initial assessment will identify whether a proposed string could create a name collision risk. The second explains the conditions under which a string may be temporarily delegated while further checks are carried out. The third describes how mitigation plans will be evaluated for strings identified as high risk.
The consultation also covers an impact-based classification model designed to determine whether a string should be treated as high risk, based on the likely severity of harm if a collision were to occur. For such strings, applicants may be required to submit detailed mitigation plans explaining how identified risks would be reduced.
The consultation will inform how these procedures are finalised and applied in the 2026 gTLD round, shaping how technical risks are managed before new domain names are introduced into the global DNS.
