The geoTLD group came together for a virtual meeting on 10 February, enabling members to get up to date with the latest in the sector and draft the activity and management plan for 2022. The group also used the session to welcome the new domains of .miami and .boston, the two newcomers bringing the number of geoTLD members around the world to 37.The meeting was also a chance for geoTLDs to prepare for the upcoming ICANN 73, an open virtual gathering to be held from 7 to 10 March.

But how relevant are these meetings for internet users? To answer this, we should take a look at the bodies mentioned and how important each one is.

• The ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers): a non-profit corporation to benefit the public, with participants from all over the world. This body manages the assignation of domain names and addresses for the IP protocol.

• Domain Name System (DNS): all internet domains operate with the DNS. Users access information online using domain names rather than IP addresses because it is much easier to remember the name of a website than a ten-digit number.

One of the most common issues relating to the security and stability of DNS is abuse. Malicious practice is based on registering domains which make reference to people, companies or recognised brands with the intention of the targeted party paying out money to get their domain back.

• geoTLD (Geographic Top-Level Domain): one initiative by the ICANN was to set up top-level domains. These include geoTLDs, a type of high-level domain to serve and represent geographical areas, languages or cultures. They includes geographical names such as .barcelona; geographical indicators such as .nyc (New York City) and names of geographical origin, such as .cat. GeoTLDs also allow for the use of characters which are unique to each language, such as Arabic or Chinese symbols.