● Covered by 2 sources · 2 reportsLow impact2 negative
ICANN Approves Verisign Proposal to Terminate .name Third-Level Domains
Key points
- Verisign proposed terminating .name third-level domains on April 15, 2026.
- ICANN approved the termination on July 28, 2026.
- The change takes effect in February 2027, impacting 22,000 registrations.
- Termination could lead to loss of services and potential account hijacking.
- Neil Fraser's personal website domain is scheduled for deletion.
- Verisign cited declining usage and limited registrar support for the change.
- EPP transactions will reject new third-level registrations.
- Existing second-level domains will remain unaffected by the termination.
Termination of .name Third-Level Domains
On July 28, 2026, ICANN approved a proposal from Verisign to terminate all third-level domains under the .name top-level domain. This decision, proposed by Verisign on April 15, 2026, aims to simplify administration. The termination is scheduled to take effect in February 2027.
Impact on Existing Registrations
The termination affects approximately 22,000 existing third-level .name registrations. For affected users, this means the loss of associated websites, email addresses, and any services hosted on these domains, even if registrations were paid for years in advance. The author's personal domain, registered for nearly 25 years, is among those impacted.
Distinction of .name Domains
Unlike some other third-level domains often associated with resellers, .name was specifically designed as a third-level operation from its inception. Registrations like xxx.yyy.name were directly managed through registrars with full WHOIS records, similar to established structures like *.ny.us or *.co.uk. The author notes that .name was originally managed by Global Name Registry, which Verisign later acquired.
Security Implications
A significant concern is the potential for security vulnerabilities once these third-level domains are terminated. The now-vacant second-level domains, such as fraser.name, will become available for registration. If a malicious actor registers a second-level domain, they could potentially recreate and control previously existing third-level domains, leading to account hijacking, unauthorized code commits, and control over IoT devices linked to those addresses.
Updates
- Neil Fraser's personal website domain is scheduled for deletion.
- Verisign cited declining usage and limited registrar support for the change.
- EPP transactions will reject new third-level registrations.
- Existing second-level domains will remain unaffected by the termination.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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How outlets covered it
ICANN has approved Verisign's request to discontinue third-level .name domain registrations (first.last.name), leading to the deletion of approximately 22,000 existing domains. This change raises security concerns as released second-level domains could be re-registered by malicious actors, potentially enabling identity theft and account hijacking.
ICANN approved Verisign's proposal to terminate all third-level domains within the .name top-level domain, effective February 2027. This decision impacts 22,000 existing registrations, leading to the loss of websites, email addresses, and potential security risks from domain squatting.