VeriSign was marked out for the accolade "for their presumption
that they own the internet and the domain name system hijacking
scandal" said a spokesman for ISPA.
The registry was embroiled in controversy last year after it
launched a redirection service called Site Finder, redirecting
surfers to its Site Finder search engine when they enter a web
address that is not registered on the internet or is inactive. The
unilateral change was made, according to VeriSign, to improve "the
user web-browsing experience."
The alteration provoked a barrage of criticism. Network
administrators accused the registry of seeking not to aid the
misguided web user, but rather to generate more advertising revenue
from its search engine partners. Others criticised the effect that
the changes have had on the working practices of the internet.
VeriSign agreed to suspend Site Finder after ICANN, the
internet's naming authority, threatened to take the domain name
registry to court, although there have been rumours in recent days
that VeriSign intends to re-launch the service shortly.
Other finalists for the least-wanted accolade of the year were
the Home Office "for the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act and
demonstrating a lack of responsiveness to the internet industry's
concerns about data retention", and the Recording Industry
Association of America "For threatening to involve a 12 year old
girl in a court action."
The placing of the Internet Hero award reflected the upsurge in
concern about spam. Steve Linford and his web site Spamhaus were
given the accolade for "educating people about spam, endeavoring to
thwart spammers and urging the US to reject the opt-out approach to
spam legislation."
