Investigation on domain tasting

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), as the global internet regulator, is currently investigating domain tasting, a controversial process where users register domains to test (and validate) their effectiveness in collecting certain levels of traffic and then cancel the registration before fees become due.

The call for this investigation by the ICANN came after it was found that less than one percent of all “.org” domain names are registered.

For business owners, from all over the world, this is a much needed initiative since peoplewho intend to use the internet to promote their business will welcome the increase in available domain names.

The investigated domain tasting practice has been unnecessarily tying up millions of available domain names -and- adversely impacting the average domainer.

In the past seven years alone, the number of domain name inquiries has risen from 1 billion to 30 billion per day, according to VeriSign, the US company controlling the “.com” and “.net” gTLDs.

In fact, VeriSign was set to raise the registry fees for these domains next month to account for the upgrading to registration systems that was much needed to cope with the overwhelming flood of automated applications and scripts operated by speculators.

As if domain tasting, in and of itself, wasn’t enough of a problem already, criminal practices such as phishing and pharming (related to domain tasting) pose even greater threats for businesses and individuals using the internet.

For instance, anonymous parties often register domains to estblish lookalike sites to obtain confidential information from unsuspecting customers. They’re able to gather private data without the usual risk of being identified (or traced) because they’re “in the process” of registering the domain name, thanks to the lax “domain tasting delay” handling.

Riskwise, the domain tasting loophole is unacceptable to both businesses and their customers. Furthermor, other unwanted commercial side-effect of this shady practice include consumer confusion and increased costs incurred to all businesses that need to register domain names “defensively” while allocating the necessary resources to keep an eye on the situation.

The ICANN’s investigation will also consider ways to counteract unnecessary costs for domainers. In the event domain tasting were to be rendered illegal (and technically impossible), the domain name business would gain credibilty while reducing its operating costs.

Fighting domain tasting is the right thing to do.

Tags: domain tasting, phishing, pharming, icann, investigation, domainers