ICANN’s 87th public meeting ran in Bali from 17 to 22 October 2026. For holders of country-code domains, two things came out of it: a new ICANN policy for internationalized country domains, and a set of government positions on abuse, registration data and the 2026 new gTLD round, whose objection period opens on 17 November 2026.
What did the ICANN Board decide for country domains?
On 22 October 2026 the ICANN Board adopted the ccNSO’s recommended policy on the selection and deselection of internationalized country-code domains (IDN ccTLDs), the country domains written in a local script, such as .рф for Russia or .中国 for China. The policy comes from the ccNSO’s fourth policy development process, known as ccPDP4.
The Board left out one part: the Risk Treatment Appraisal provisions in Section 7.8 of the policy. It found them not in the best interest of the ICANN community or of ICANN, and will send a statement to the ccNSO Council. It directed ICANN to implement the rest, subject to prioritisation, and noted that some recommendations need changes to ICANN’s Bylaws.
The policy takes over from the IDN ccTLD Fast Track Process, which opened in 2009. The ccNSO’s report to the Board says that every string validated under the Fast Track is deemed validated under the new policy. Existing IDN country domains keep their status.
What did governments say about the 2026 new gTLD round?
The Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC), where 67 members and 8 observers met in Bali, published its ICANN87 Communiqué on 26 October 2026. It notes that many applications in the 2026 round are linked to government functions, public services or regulated sectors such as medicine, finance, education and fund-raising, and that safeguards would be required.
The Communiqué also sets out the limits of the process. A safeguard assessment cannot stop an application, but it can lead to Public Interest Commitments written into the registry agreement as enforceable obligations. Governments can raise concerns through GAC Member Early Warnings and GAC Consensus Advice, and the GAC intends to set up an operational readiness framework to coordinate its members’ reviews.
ICANN also named who will check the round. On 23 October it announced three Independent Objectors, who may object to applications in the public interest. Their window opens on String Confirmation Day and stays open for 111 calendar days. On 26 October it named JAS Global Advisors to check that evaluations are applied consistently.
What changes for DNS abuse and registration data?
The GAC set out what it expects next on abuse and registration data.
- Associated domain checks: the GAC asks that the policy now being written on linked abusive domains be implemented before new gTLD strings are added to the DNS.
- Verification: today registrars have 15 days to validate and verify registration data. The GAC recommends that this be done before a newly registered domain name can resolve, and proposes more talks with registrars before ICANN88.
- Access to registration data: the GAC wants the future System for Standardized Access/Disclosure (SSAD) to be permanent and mandatory for gTLD registrars, with optional participation by ccTLD operators, and clear timelines for the 24-hour deadline on urgent law enforcement requests.
The Communiqué adds that experience shared by some ccTLDs showed that verification before registration can lower abuse without necessarily affecting registrations and renewals. The GAC also met the ccNSO to discuss disaster recovery for ccTLDs.
Which dates come next?
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 17 November 2026 | String Confirmation Day: the Community Input and Objections Period opens for the 2026 round |
| 27 November 2026 | Deadline for applicants’ refund requests |
| 19 December 2026 to 4 January 2027 | ICANN office closure, already counted in the objection period |
| 16 March 2027 | The general objection period closes |
| 13 to 18 March 2027 | ICANN88 Community Forum, Lisbon |
What should brand owners and registrars do now?
Read the list of applied-for strings published on Reveal Day before 17 November, and note any that use your brand or sit close to it. Domgate’s guide on how to check the 1,615 applications explains how. Then decide whether a comment or a formal objection is the right route, since formal objections can only be filed during that period.
If you hold or plan to apply for an IDN country domain, follow ICANN’s implementation of the new policy. Strings validated under the Fast Track are not affected.
Domgate is a corporate ccTLD registrar for 1,300+ extensions. It helps brand owners and law firms follow new registrations with trademark watching and supports companies that consider a .brand top-level domain.
