{
  "id": 6256419,
  "title": "Does ICANN Open the Door on Identity Theft by Dropping 3rd Level .name Domains Registrations?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/does-icann-open-the-door-on-identity-theft-by-dropping-3rd-level-name",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-09-08T08:08:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "InfoQ",
    "slug": "infoq",
    "url": "https://www.infoq.com/news/2026/09/name-domain-drop/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A recent disclosure by software engineer Neil Fraser has raised concerns about potential identity theft risks due to the dropping of third-level .name domain registrations by ICANN. The change, approved on April 15, 2026, was proposed by registry operator Verisign as part of a service evaluation policy. Under the decision, Verisign will no longer register third-level domains, which are structured as first.last.name, citing low usage and limited support from registrars.\n\nWhile the .name TLD will still support standard second-level domains (like example.name), existing second-level domains will remain unaffected. However, the deletion of legacy third-level names could impact around 22,000 registrants who adopted this structure when the TLD was launched in 2001.\n\nSecurity experts warn that the deletion of these third-level domains could expose the parent second-level domains to potential security threats. Once these records are removed, malicious actors could register the released second-level domains and configure DNS records to intercept communications, reset passwords, and hijack accounts. This scenario could lead to \"identity theft-as-a-service,\" with orphaned email addresses becoming prime targets for automated takeovers.\n\nThe decision has sparked criticism from technical communities on platforms like Hacker News and Mastodon, who argue that Verisign's filing lacked proper security concerns and that ICANN approved a reckless action. Engineers question whether Verisign should have frozen the existing delegations or permanently reserved the second-level domains instead of releasing them into the wild. The affected domain owners are now exploring their legal options to protect their accounts before the domains go dark.",
  "summary": "Neil Fraser's disclosure highlights a regulatory change affecting the .name top-level domain. Following ICANN's approval, Verisign will eliminate third-level registrations due to declining usage. This affects about 22,000 registrants and raises security concerns, as released second-level domains could be exploited. Affected users are considering legal options to challenge the decision. By Olimpiu…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}