Decision on .xxx domain delayed again

The fate of the highly controversial .xxx Internet domain will not be decided until "a future date," a representative of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names, which oversees domain names, said Friday. ICANN's board of directors considered an agreement for the proposed virtual red-light district at a Thursday meeting but decided against taking action, directing ICANN staff to negotiate "additional contractual provisions" with ICM Registry, the Florida company that plans to operate the domain.

The Bush administration and conservative groups have recently voiced opposition to the domain's creation. ICANN pushed back its vote last month, though it did approve the .xxx concept back in June.