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Domain businesses step up to combat pandemic

Domain businesses all over the world have been stepping up to counter the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the economy and the information space. Their efforts are primarily aimed at banning fraudulent and misleading websites that are speculating on the pandemic. One large registrar, Namecheap, announced that it suspended the registration of domains containing certain keywords — including “coronavirus,” “covid” or “vaccine.” This doesn’t mean it’s impossible to register them: just that it is more difficult to quickly register them. Customers wishing to register such domains can call Namecheap customer service and prove they will be used for legitimate purposes. At the same time, Namecheap is introducing a discount and an instalment program for clients that can prove that their businesses and finances are being damaged by the pandemic, according to Domain Incite.

Verisign, which manages the largest gTLD .COM, also hinted that it will be offering its registrars similar payment flexibility, which one assumes could be passed on to registrants. Nominet, which owns the British ccTLD .UK, like Namecheap, will also suspend domains that look suspicious. Nominet added “coronavirus” and “covid” to its Domain Watch: a semi-automated system flagging questionable registrations using keywords that identify potentially malicious domains.

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