GoKawiilICANN Approves Verisign Plan to Kill Third-Level .name Domains
Verisign asked ICANN to eliminate all third-level '.name' domains to cut administrative complexity, and ICANN approved the request on 28 July 2026. Long-time users like Neil Fraser, who registered his personal domain nearly 25 years ago, learned of the change only recently via registrar notices, and will lose their websites, email addresses, and connected IoT services starting in February.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
Unlike shady resold third-level domains, '.name' was built as a legitimate registry-backed structure with full WHOIS records, so this decision effectively erases decades of paid, valid registrations without direct warning to affected users. It also raises concerns that freed-up second-level '.name' domains could be resold or repurposed, potentially exposing former owners to identity or service hijacking.
- Verisign's ICANN-approved plan will terminate all third-level '.name' domains despite active registrations paid through 2040.
- Affected users face loss of websites, email addresses, and functionality for IoT devices tied to their domains.
- The move highlights risks of relying on a single corporate registry, especially one with a history of mistrust like Verisign.
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Published there as: “.name Termination”
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