domain name news
Google has applied for 39 new top-level domains in ICANN’s 2026 expansion round, down from the 101 it sought in 2012. It faces competition for .agent from 13 applicants, including OpenAI and Meta.
Source: Domain Name Wire published on
Chrome says attackers hijacked the .gh, .sl, and .as ccTLD registries, altering DNS records and obtaining unauthorized HTTPS certificates for Google and other organizations' domains, prompting Chrome to block the certificates via CRLSets.
Source: Google Security published on
Since April, German registry Denic has placed around 36,000 of its 18 million .de domains into quarantine, but none have been deleted so far. Denic representative Thomas Keller said the first deletions are expected from early October onward, as the quarantine process moves toward completion.
Source: domainbrief.de original in German published on
The DNIB Quarterly Report for Q2 2026 says worldwide domain name registrations across all top-level domains reached 401.6 million by the end of June 2026. That figure represents a rise of 9.1 million registrations, or 2.3%, compared with the first quarter, and a year-over-year increase of 29.9 million, or 8.1%. The report also states that .com and .net combined held 179.1 million registrations, up 3.0 million from the previous quarter. As of June 30, 2026, .com alone accounted for 166.6 million names and .net for 12.5 million, according to the report.
Source: DNIB.com published on
ICANN will publish its Reveal Day list on October 7, 2026, disclosing which entities applied for which new top-level domain strings in this year's expansion round, which drew over 1,600 applications. The release, scheduled for 18:00 UTC, will include replacement strings, contention sets and public portions of applications. The Internet Commerce Association will host a free webinar the next day featuring gTLD experts to analyze the results. The reveal also triggers a two-week window for applicants to switch to replacement strings, with String Confirmation Day set for November 17, 2026.
Source: dnjournal.com published on
GoDaddy is losing its position managing the .us country-code domain, with Identity Digital set to take over the registry contract, according to domainincite.com. The report suggests the transition could put some existing .us domain registrations at risk, though the exact mechanism and timeline were not detailed in the available text. The .us domain is the United States' official country-code top-level domain and has seen declining registration numbers in recent years. A change of registry operator for a national domain is a significant event, since it can affect pricing, policy and renewal processes for registrants.
Source: domainincite.com published on
ICANN has published a new report on internationalized domain names (IDNs), domains that use non-Latin scripts or special characters. While the organization points to progress in areas such as infrastructure and tooling, the report itself documents a fourth consecutive decline in IDN registrations. It also finds that 71 percent of mail servers still cannot accept internationalized email addresses, a longstanding barrier to wider adoption. The findings highlight a gap between ICANN's stated progress and the actual uptake of IDNs among users and service providers.
Source: domainbrief.de original in German published on
ICANN's application window for its latest round of new generic top-level domains closed on August 12, 2026, after opening in April. According to dnjournal.com, Link Freedom Group filed more than 300 applications, apparently making it the most active applicant in this round. ICANN is expected to reveal full details of applied-for strings and applicants in the coming months.
Source: dnjournal.com published on
Dutch registry SIDN has found around 2,900 domains under the .nl extension linked to gambling content. The registry says about half of these are expired domains that new owners acquired to host links to gambling sites. The finding highlights how abandoned domains can be repurposed for unrelated or unwanted content.
Source: domainbrief.de original in German published on