ICANN - Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers

09/22/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/22/2026 02:59

New ICANN Report Highlights Global Progress on IDNs and Universal Acceptance

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) today published the IDN Implementation and UA Adoption Report 2026, which provides an overview of progress toward a more multilingual and inclusive Internet through Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) and Universal Acceptance (UA).

IDNs enable people around the world to use domain names in their preferred languages and scripts. As of June 2026, 151 IDN top-level domains (TLDs), representing 37 languages and 23 scripts, have been delegated, with approximately 4.3 million IDNs registered at the second level.

The broader use of IDNs depends on progress in UA, which ensures that all valid domain names and email addresses can be correctly accepted, validated, processed, stored, and displayed across Internet-enabled applications, devices, and systems. While UA support has improved, the report notes that gaps remain and continued work is needed.

Community efforts are increasingly focused on moving from awareness to implementation and adoption. UA Day 2026 included 33 events across 30 countries and territories in 15 languages, while initiatives involving universities, local communities, technology providers, open-source projects, and international organizations are helping advance practical UA adoption.

The report also covers developments in IDN policy and implementation, Label Generation Rules, IDN Implementation Guidelines, and work supporting the New Generic Top-Level Domains Program: 2026 Round.

Achieving UA is a shared responsibility. Many stakeholders - including technology application providers, software developers, academia, domain name registries and registrars, email and hosting service providers, and policy makers - all have a role to play. To learn more about the latest developments and ongoing work, read the full IDN Implementation and UA Adoption Report 2026.

For additional information, please visit the dedicated IDN and UA webpages.

About ICANN

ICANN's mission is to help ensure a stable, secure, and unified global Internet. To reach another person on the Internet, you need to type an address - a name or a number - into your computer or other device. That address must be unique so computers know where to find each other. ICANN helps coordinate and support these unique identifiers across the world. ICANN was formed in 1998 as a nonprofit public benefit corporation with a community of participants from all over the world.
ICANN - Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers published this content on September 22, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 22, 2026 at 08:59 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]