ICANN - Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
ICANN - Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
10/15/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/15/2026 17:26
ICANN Announces 2026 Round Background Screening Services Provider
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) announced today that it has entered into an agreement with PricewaterhouseCoopers Advisory Services LLC ("PwC") to be the provider for background screening services in the New Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLD) Program: 2026 Round. Background screening is a mandatory component of the New gTLD Program's applicant evaluation phase, in place to protect the public interest in the allocation of critical Internet resources by ensuring that only established corporations, organizations, and institutions in good standing are allowed to operate a new gTLD.
ICANN selected PwC through a competitive Request for Proposal process initiated in November 2025. The selection followed ICANN's procurement best practices to ensure appropriate specifications, quality, and value.
PwC provides consulting advisory services across a wide range of sectors and services, including a Corporate Intelligence and Integrity Due Diligence practice that assists clients in managing third-party, operational, transactional, reputational, and regulatory compliance risks across their business networks. Drawing on experienced investigative professionals, global research capabilities and technology-enabled analysis, PwC supports organizations with background screening, corporate intelligence and complex, multi-jurisdictional due diligence matters.
ICANN selected PwC because it is confident that it has the capabilities and experience to manage and conduct the review of individual and organizational information, relevant public records, and the assessment of applicants based on the eligibility criteria outlined in the 2026 Round Applicant Guidebook.
For more information on background screening, please refer to Section 6.1 in the Applicant Guidebook. For questions about this announcement, please contact [email protected].
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 October 15, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on October 15, 2026 at 23:26 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]