Ukraine has asked the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers to essentially block Russia from accessing the internet.
The organization is responsible for overseeing domain name management for the internet.
Ukraine asked ICANN to cancel connections to websites that use .ru, .su and .рф domains and shut down internet access from St. Petersburg and Moscow.
That would mean even regular people in Russia would not be able to access their email, search the web, or even access local websites.
In a letter, Ukraine said, “these measures will help users seek for reliable information in alternative domain zones, preventing propaganda and disinformation.”
The governing body denied Ukraine’s request.
ICANN said in a statement, “Our mission does not extend to taking punitive actions, issuing sanctions, or restricting access against segments of the Internet – regardless of the provocations.”
It added, “ICANN has been built to ensure that the Internet works, not for its coordination role to be used to stop it from working.”
