The ICANN81 Annual General Meeting is approaching, with this year’s event to be held in Istanbul, Türkiye from November 9 – 14.
This key event on the domain industry calendar is always a valuable opportunity to meet with colleagues and partners from around the world, engage in discussions on hot topics and hear updates from across the sector.
The Brand Safety Alliance’s Tony Kirsch and Ben Anderson will be attending the meeting this year and are looking forward to connecting with Registry and Agent partners in-person to discuss GlobalBlock’s progress as we approach a year since launch.
Of particular interest to many in our network will be discussions around the next round of new Top-Level Domain (new TLD) applications. In September, ICANN announced the expected ‘evaluation’ fee for the next round to be $227,000 USD. This represents a significant increase from the previous application round, with additional fees for certain TLD categories.
With applications currently projected to open in April 2026, this will no doubt be the topic of much conversation in Türkiye.
The BSA will continue to closely monitor developments in the new TLD program, seeking opportunities to simplify and improve the brand protection experience, and create a safer internet for brands and consumers alike.
If you are attending ICANN81 in Türkiye and wish to meet with the BSA team or learn more about GlobalBlock, please contact us at hello@brandsafetyalliance.co.
