The ICANN Security and Stability Advisory Committee sent a letter to the corporation saying that the current restrictions on the number of new gTLDs that can be added to the DNS are inappropriate. This issue was hotly debated in 2012, when the first stage of the new gTLDs program started. Many opponents of the program argued that new domains would threaten the stability of the DNS. As a result, an upper limit was approved as a compromise: ICANN was allowed to add only 1,000 new domains per year to the DNS.
The past seven years have set the record straight. On the one hand, the new domains did not create any noticeable problems for the functioning of the DNS. On the other hand, it took two and a half years for ICANN to add the first 1,000 gTLDs, mainly due to the bureaucratic elements of the procedures for submitting, processing and reviewing applications. Thus, the fears did not materialize. And the SSAC notes in its letter that there is no need to adhere to this restriction in future phases of the new domain program. Moreover, the 1,000-a-year upper limit was picked out of thin air, according Domain Incite. The SSAC is far more concerned that many of the new domains added during the first phase are being abused, spreading spam, malware, and other illegal activities. The SSAC believes that ICANN should pay more attention to this issue.
