The Internet Service Providers Association of South Africa (ISPA) issued a statement strongly criticizing the draft registry changes proposed by ZADNA, the .ZA ccTLD registry. Many registrars and other domain business representatives have been similarly critical. Their concern is understandable: the project appears very heavy-handed.
In particular, ZADNA plans to introduce a mandatory procedure for checking and verifying the identity of domain name registrants. In addition, it is expected to raise prices and simplify the procedure for revoking the licenses of registrar companies, Domain Incite reports. Naturally, these measures are not getting much sympathy in the domain and internet business.
“ZADNA’s draft regulations and procedures, as they stand, threaten to undo 34 years of local and international goodwill towards domains ending in .ZA. These regulations are heavy-handed and cumbersome and as such will disincentivise the adoption of .ZA registrations,” William Stucke, chair of ISPA’s domain name working group, said. Like many other representatives of the industry, Stucke believes that if the new rules are adopted, local businesses will prefer registering their domains in .COM and other new domain zones instead of .ZA ccTLD.
