Controversial domain registry Freenom has returned, barely two and a half years after Facebook owner Meta sued it into the ground in a massive cybersquatting lawsuit. But the company seems to have abandoned the free domains business model it pioneered
Domain Incite
Domain Incite covers developments in the domain name industry, focusing on topics such as new generic top-level domain (gTLD) applications, corporate strategies involving domain portfolios, and significant personnel changes within domain registries and related companies. The blog reports on industry events including company restructurings, leadership transitions, and regulatory or governance issues related to ICANN and domain name management. It also addresses the impact of broader internet and advertising market changes on domain businesses. Published by Domain Incite, the blog provides updates relevant to domain registries, registrars, and internet governance stakeholders.
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First dot-brand of the year self-terminates
By Kevin Murphy
It’s been almost 10 months since ICANN last received a demand from a dot-brand registry operator to terminate its contract, but 2026 has now had its first such request. Networking gear maker Juniper Networks has asked for its .juniper gTLD…
The Tax Man to get domain takedown powers
By Kevin Murphy
The Tax Man is going to get powers to ask for domains to be taken down in the UK, according to local registry Nominet. His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs is set to be added to Nominet’s list of approved law…
Afnic: all your overseas territories are belong to us
By Kevin Murphy
French ccTLD registry Afnic has taken over management of three more ccTLDs assigned to France’s overseas territories, meaning it now looks after all eight such TLDs, according to the company. Afnic is now running .gf (French Guiana), .gp (Guadeloupe) and…
.ru ready to crash as Draconian new rules come in
By Kevin Murphy
One of the world’s most-popular ccTLDs could be on the verge of losing a substantial number of domains after extremely strict eligibility requirements come in to force just weeks from now. Registrants of new and existing .ru domains will need…
Google adds .here and .eat to launch roster
By Kevin Murphy
Google has added the long-dormant gTLDs .here and .eat to its 2026 launch timetable, synchronized with the previously announced launch of .fly. The company has told ICANN that it plans to runs its sunrise periods alongside .fly’s from September 1…
“Bulletproof” registrar gets third ICANN bollocking
By Kevin Murphy
Trustname.com, a company that advertises itself as a privacy-devoted “bulletproof” registrar, is still refusing to suspend domain names used for phishing, malware, and payment card theft fast enough, according to ICANN. The Org has sent its third notice of contract…
Cybercrime link as t.me gets taken down
By Kevin Murphy
Speculation is rampant online right now after t.me, the domain used for short links by the messaging service Telegram, was apparently taken down by the .me registry, affecting as many as a billion users. t.me seems to have gone dark…
ICANN rules could hamper agentic AI domain regs
By Kevin Murphy
Bulk registration of domain names is likely to become more difficult under policy proposals being considered in ICANN, potentially limiting the potential of agentic AI. The Generic Names Supporting Organization is in the very early stages of a Policy Development…
A dot-brand walks into a bar
By Kevin Murphy
“He doesn’t need a VPN, his network works above the DNS. Do you know what the DNS is?” When he said it, the 80-year-old barfly I found myself in a long conversation with at the weekend had no idea what…