Governments risk wrecking the internet鈥檚 domain name system if they rush plans to make web and email addresses available in a host of non-Latin scripts, internet pioneer Vinton Cerf has warned.
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, which Cerf chairs, is running a project to make domain names available in more languages, such as Mandarin and Arabic, to increase internet access. However, progress is slow and some governments feel the US-based group is stalling. Speaking at the UN鈥檚 Internet Governance Forum in Athens, Greece, on 30 October, Cerf defended its pace.
鈥淒omain names assure the stability of the internet and it is necessary to permit only a carefully chosen subset of all characters. The work will require extraordinary technical expertise.鈥�
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