ICANN seeks provider to assess name collision risks in 2026 domain expansion
ICANN has opened a public procurement process for experts to examine whether proposed new internet address endings could conflict with names already used inside private networks.
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers has issued a request for proposals to select a service provider for name collision assessments in the next expansion of generic top-level domains.
A generic top-level domain is the final part of an internet address, such as .com or .org. During the 2026 application round, organisations will be able to apply to operate new endings, known as applied-for strings.
Before any proposed string can be added to the global Domain Name System, ICANN will examine whether it could create a name collision.
A name collision happens when the same name is used in two different naming systems. For example, an organisation may already use a particular name inside its private network. If that name later becomes a public top-level domain, a computer could send a request to the public internet instead of the organisation’s internal system.
This could disrupt communications, send information to an unintended destination, or cause other unexpected behaviour.
Under ICANN’s risk-management framework, every applied-for string in the 2026 round will undergo an initial assessment. This also applies to variant strings, which are alternative written forms of a proposed domain name.
The selected provider will operate an expert panel that examines the technical risk associated with each string. The panel will use quantitative data and, where necessary, qualitative analysis to determine whether adding a string to the global Domain Name System could create a high risk of serious harm.
The assessment is an early screening process. Its purpose is to identify strings that may require additional examination or risk-reduction measures before they can proceed towards delegation, the step through which a new top-level domain is added to the internet’s root zone.
The procurement process is public, meaning any qualified prospective provider may participate. Interested organisations must provide their name, contact person, and contact email to ICANN.
Official proposals must be submitted through ICANN’s sourcing system by 23:59 UTC on 31 July 2026.
