In a carefully worded blog post, ICANN CEO Kurt Lindqvist reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to the principles of diversity and inclusion—even as those very words disappear from its official messaging.
“While some terminology may have changed, the values that guide our work have not,” Lindqvist wrote on ICANN’s blog on May 16. “We have not stepped back from, retreated from, or abandoned ICANN’s core values, or an environment where all voices are welcomed, respected, and valued.”
The post came in response to public concern over ICANN’s quiet removal of most references to “diversity” and “inclusion” from a page once titled “Diversity at ICANN”, now renamed “Representation at ICANN.” The metadata summary for the blog post reads: “ICANN reaffirms its commitment to diversity and inclusion amid recent updates to webpage language.”
Lindqvist emphasized that there have been no changes to existing initiatives like the Fellowship or NextGen programs, which are intended to foster global participation in ICANN’s work.
Still, the blog post does not explain why ICANN chose to erase language it had prominently supported for years. The timing and nature of the changes have sparked speculation, especially given the current political climate in the United States, where the term “DEI” (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) has become a flashpoint for criticism from conservative figures, particularly those aligned with Donald Trump and the MAGA movement.
Some observers see ICANN’s language shift as an attempt to stay out of the political crossfire—or worse, as capitulation. Comparisons have even been drawn to other institutions scrambling to sanitize politically sensitive content, with one pointed remark likening the move to the U.S. Department of Defense erasing the Enola Gay from its website.
While ICANN officially severed most formal ties with the U.S. government in the 2016 IANA transition, its position as steward of the global internet root zone means it can’t afford to become a political target—especially in a U.S. election year.
For now, the values may remain, but the vocabulary is being quietly redefined.
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