Nominet, which manages the UK ccTLD .UK, has presented a report on tackling the illegal use of domain names. It covers the period from November 1, 2020 to October 31, 2021, and notes a sharp decrease in the number of domains blocked for various violations. Over 12 months, the registry blocked 3,434 domains compared to 22,158 last year, according to Domain Name Wire.
Thirteen organizations in the UK, from the National Crime Agency to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, have the right to request the registry suspend a domain name. Eleven of them exercised this right during the year, submitting requests to block a total of 3,452 domains. After the necessary check, 18 requests did not result in suspensions.
Such a sharp decrease in the number of suspended domains is largely due to the proactive measures taken by the registry. Even at the registration stage, many domain names are checked for potential breaches. A prime example is the registration of domain names related to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the reporting period, 4,330 such domain names underwent checks, with 2,749 going on to complete registration. Domain names suspected of being registered for phishing must pass similar checks. During the year, 5,484 such domain names were pending checks, and only 450 got through to registration.
