ICANN Acronyms and Terms

ICANN has hundreds of acronyms and terms, which can be confusing. We created this multilingual tool to help explain what these terms mean and facilitate your work within the ICANN community.

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ICANN Acronyms and Terms

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G

1-18 of 18 results

GAC Principles

A document developed by the ICANN Governmental Advisory Committee that details a set of principles agreed by governments on how country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) should be delegated and run. Formally known as the “Principles for the Delegation and Administration of ccTLDs,” it is one of a number of documents that guide ICANN’s evaluation of a ccTLD delegation request.

General Data Protection Regulation(GDPR)

The General Data Protection Regulation was adopted by the European Union (EU) on 14 April 2016 and takes effect on 25 May 2018 uniformly across the EU countries. According to the European Commission, the aim of the GDPR is to protect all EU residents from privacy and data breaches. It applies to all companies processing and holding the personal data of subjects residing in the European Union, regardless of a company's location.

Generation Panel(GP)

A group of community volunteers who come together to create a set of Root Zone Label Generation Rules (RZ-LGR) for a specific script or writing system. This group performs the first phase of the Procedure to Develop and Maintain the Label Generation Rules for the Root Zone in Respect of Internationalized Domain Names in Applications (IDNA) Labels.

A Generation Panel is composed of individuals with experience or interest in the language, writing system, or script used by a particular community of Internet users. To begin development of an RZ-LGR, the GP must meet certain requirements and obtain approval from the ICANN organization.

When a GP completes its work, it delivers the proposed RZ-LGR to the Integration Panel, which carries out the second phase of the RZ-LGR development procedure.

Generic Names Supporting Organization(GNSO)

One of three Supporting Organizations in the ICANN community. The GNSO develops policies relating to generic top-level domains (gTLDs). Its membership consists of representatives advocating for gTLD registry, gTLD registrar, noncommercial, not-for-profit, business, intellectual property, and Internet service provider and connectivity interests.

The GNSO Council manages the policy development process relating to gTLDs.

Generic Names Supporting Organization Council(GNSO Council)

The council in the GNSO that manages the policy development process relating to generic top-level domains (gTLDs).

For voting purposes, the GNSO Council is divided into two bodies called houses. The members of the Contracted Parties House represent the interests of gTLD registries and gTLD registrars. The members of the Non-Contracted Parties House represent the interests of commercial and noncommercial entities. This structure provides checks and balances so that no single interest group dominates the Council.

generic string

A top-level domain name consisting of a word or term that denominates or describes a general class of goods, services, groups, organizations, or things, as opposed to distinguishing a specific brand of goods, services, groups, organizations from each other. Examples include .accountant, .design, or .global.

generic top-level domain(gTLD)

The class of top-level domains that includes general-purpose domains such as .com, .net, .edu, and .org. This class also includes domains associated with the New Generic Top-Level Domain Program (New gTLD Program), which includes names such as .futbol, .istanbul, and .pizza, and names in other alphabets and languages.

ICANN coordinates the development of the rules and policies that govern the registration of domain names within gTLDs.

Some gTLDs, known as sponsored gTLDs, represent a specific community of Internet users. In these cases, the community’s sponsor develops the rules and policies specific to the gTLD. Examples include .aero, .coop, and .museum.

Generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD) Registry Continuity

Obsolete term. See Registry Transition Process.

Generic Top-Level Domain Marketplace Health Index(gTLD Marketplace Health Index)

A set of statistics and trends that ICANN publishes semiannually to track progress against its goals for the domain name marketplace. Based on criteria developed with community input, the index assesses whether the gTLD marketplace is upholding its goal of being robust, stable, and trusted.

Geographic Names Panel(GNP)

In the New Generic Top-Level Domain Program (New gTLD Program), a panel of experts charged by ICANN with reviewing applied-for gTLD domain strings to identify strings that represent geographical names.

Global Amendment to the base New Generic Top-Level Domain Registry Agreement

A set of approved revisions to the base Registry Agreement that typically result from bilateral negotiations between the ICANN organization and the Registries Stakeholder Group, followed by a Public Comment proceeding.

Global Support Center(GSC)

The ICANN organization’s network of customer service centers that provide information and technical assistance to ICANN’s contracted registry operators, accredited registrars, new generic top-level domain (gTLD) applicants, and the Internet community at large. The GSC has support centers around the world that operate 24 hours a day, Monday through Friday. Besides the six United Nations languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish), the GCS provides voice support in Turkish.

glue record

A resource record in a zone file that provides the Internet Protocol (IP) address of an authoritative name server for a subdomain. When a parent domain delegates administrative authority to a subdomain, the parent’s zone file must include:

Governmental Advisory Committee(GAC)

One of four Advisory Committees in the ICANN community. The GAC advises the ICANN Board on public policy issues, particularly in areas where ICANN policies intersect with national laws and international agreements.

The GAC membership includes members from national governments and distinct economies, and observers from intergovernmental organizations and multinational treaty organizations.

Governmental Advisory Committee Advice on New Generic Top-Level Domains(GAC Advice on New gTLDs)

In the New Generic Top-Level Domain Program (New gTLD Program), advice provided to the ICANN Board of Directors by the Governmental Advisory Committee in relation to one or more gTLD applications.

Governmental Advisory Committee Communiqué(GAC Communiqué)

A formal report of the proceedings from an official meeting of the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC). A GAC Communiqué is one form of written communication the GAC uses to communicate its advice to the ICANN Board. Typically, the GAC issues a communiqué at the end of each ICANN Public Meeting. All communiqués issued by the GAC are translated and made available on the GAC website.

Governmental Advisory Committee Early Warning(GAC Early Warning)

In the New Generic Top-Level Domain Program (New gTLD Program), a notice issued by the Governmental Advisory Committee concerning a gTLD application indicating that the application is seen as potentially sensitive or problematic by one or more governments.