ICANN Says No to '.xxx' Domain

Internet domain regulator ICANN voted down a proposal that would have created a special domain for adult sites Wednesday in a nine to five vote. If approved, the ".xxx" domain would have created a virtual "red light district" on the Web. However, conservative groups railed against the proposal, saying it essentially sanctioned pornography.

Supporters vehemently disagreed, pointing out the fact that it would be easier to avoid porn through a special domain created for the subject. ICANN said that the politics surrounding the issue played no part in the final vote.