Embodiments include technologies for identifying an equivalence class identifier in a packet received by a node configured to perform information centric networking (ICN) in an ICN network, where the packet includes a name identifying content associated with a producer node in the ICN network. Embodiments also include determining an equivalence class for the packet by determining a name prefix of the name based, at least in part, on the equivalence class identifier. Embodiments further include taking an action affecting a particular packet, the action based, at least in part, on the equivalence class. In specific embodiments, the name includes a plurality of name components, and the equivalence class identifier is a count indicating a number of name components in the name to be grouped together to determine the name prefix. In further embodiments, the number is greater than a particular number of name components in a routable name prefix.