The Internet Corporations for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) authorized the creation of a .xxx suffix for pornography websites on March 18, according to a March 19 article from The New York Times. The plan would eventually require the sites to register with a .xxx suffix so they aren’t confused with other businesses of similar names. ICANN would not regulate the information on such sites.

This will create both a safety net for parents and provide a safe and legitimate nature for pornography sites. While some sex industry members and religious groups are strongly opposed, the benefits of the .xxx suffix outweigh the drawbacks for a variety of reasons.

The sex industry claims it will be subjected to censorship by governments, and in that sense it is right. India has already declared it will not support the new .xxx suffix and will block what it calls the new red light district of the Internet.

Religious organizations, such as Baptist Press, argue that the domain will make the spread of pornography more rapid and easier to access. That’s clearly not the case when one considers that now all .xxx websites can be blocked from wandering eyes.

On the flip side, the .xxx domain will be scanned daily for viruses and create a secure site for payment. This would encourage people to use the sites because they wouldn’t be concerned for the health of their computers or wallets.

Yes, pornography creates a demand for prostitution, sex trafficking and sexual assault through the feeding of sexual appetites. A domain catered for those who wish to visit those sites would prevent those who don’t want to stumble upon them from doing so accidentally.

The beauty of the Internet is its ability to give you access to any information you could possibly want. That extreme and awesome power has both positive and negative impacts. This is the same Internet that helped spark and organize the Egyptian uprising and provides us with breaking news. You can’t have one without the other.

I am not a user of .xxx sites or any site that might even consider registering for a .xxx domain, but I do believe there needs to be a separate domain for such content. It can’t be ignored, and through a .xxx domain name it won’t be, even if it is censored by certain governments.

Bailey McGowan is a sophomore broadcast journalism major from Burkburnett.