---
id: "5989e8a3-7731-4ec3-bd3f-c5d11731a9d0"
kind: "link"
title: "Registrants urge ICANN to reverse decision letting Verisign retire third-level .name domains"
language: "en"
section: "icann"
date: "2026-10-14T17:07:29Z"
updated: "2026-10-14T17:07:29Z"
canonical: "https://tldlog.com/l/registrants-urge-icann-reverse-decision-letting-verisign/"
origin: "master"
translations:
  es: "https://tldlog.com/es/l/titulares-piden-icann-revocar-decision-que-permite-verisign/"
  de: "https://tldlog.com/de/l/registrierte-fordern-icann-entscheidung-abschaffung-third/"
  fr: "https://tldlog.com/fr/l/titulaires-pressent-icann-annuler-suppression-noms-name/"
  it: "https://tldlog.com/it/l/assegnatari-chiedono-icann-annullare-decisione-che-permette/"
  pt-BR: "https://tldlog.com/pt/l/titulares-pedem-icann-que-reverta-decisao-que-permite/"
  ru: "https://tldlog.com/ru/l/registranty-prosyat-icann-otmenit-reshenie-pozvolyayushchee/"
  zh-Hans: "https://tldlog.com/zh/l/registrants-urge-icann-reverse-decision-letting-verisign/"
source:
  name: "Domain Name Wire"
  url: "https://domainnamewire.com/2026/10/14/verisign-and-icann-should-reverse-course-on-third-level-name-domains/"
  language: "en-US"
  date: "2026-10-14T16:27:42Z"
---

# Registrants urge ICANN to reverse decision letting Verisign retire third-level .name domains

## in plain words

Verisign, which runs the .com system, wants to stop offering some older .name web addresses, such as firstname.lastname.name. ICANN, the group that oversees internet names, approved the request. Some people who have held these addresses for decades are asking ICANN to change its mind.

Two more registrants of third-level .name domains have filed reconsideration requests with ICANN over the past week. They ask the ICANN board to reverse its decision to allow Verisign to eliminate their domain names.

Verisign, the registry operator for .com, also manages the .name namespace. Individuals have been able to register third-level .name domains, such as firstname.lastname.name, for decades. Verisign says it no longer wants to support these registrations, and ICANN approved its request to discontinue the service. Verisign cites limited registrar support and declining usage. About 22,000 third-level .name registrations exist, and Verisign says the “majority” are not in use.

The source describes the move as a small revenue matter for Verisign. It says the registrations make up a rounding error next to the money Verisign earns from .com. For people who have used these domains for decades, the source argues, losing them would be severe. Users may have built websites on them, used them for personal email, and linked them to many online accounts that would need new addresses.

The source gives one example. Neil Fraser registered neil.fraser.name nearly 25 years ago and uses it for his website, email and other services. He was told by his registrar that the domain would be terminated in February, although he had paid to renew it through 2040. The source also warns that if a second-level domain under a deleted name becomes available, someone else could receive emails meant for the former user, which it calls a serious security risk.

The source notes that Verisign expects revenue of between $1.745 billion and $1.755 billion this year, with operating income of $1.185 billion to $1.195 billion. It argues that a company of that size could keep supporting a small number of legacy registrations. The source also points to ICANN’s responsibility for the security, stability and resilience of the domain name system, and asks how removing existing registrations serves that role.

The source suggests a compromise: Verisign would stop accepting new third-level .name registrations while keeping existing ones active. It argues that Verisign has its own reasons to reconsider, since its main business depends on its ongoing relationship with ICANN and the U.S. government. The source’s author, who says he agrees with the registrants, urges both organizations to reverse course.

Source: [Domain Name Wire](https://domainnamewire.com/2026/10/14/verisign-and-icann-should-reverse-course-on-third-level-name-domains/)

## also covered by

- [domainincite.com](https://domainincite.com/31926-stupid-domain-name-owner-fights-verisign-turn-off) (in English)