Newsflash

.XXX no longer a Sponsored TLD

ICM Registry, operator of .XXX, have renewed their accreditation agreement with ICANN and in doing so, changed the operation of the TLD so that it is no longer a sponsored TLD, and membership in the Sponsored Community is no longer required. This means that it has essentially become unrestricted, and there is no longer a requirement for registrants to be part of the adult entertainment industry.

When this TLD launched in 2011, registrants could either register a .XXX domain for active use if they were in the adult entertainment industry or block a domain if they met the criteria for a Sunrise-B block (open to brand owners). In 2021, the Sunrise-B blocks expired, and registrants had the option to move to the new AdultBlock service (which blocked a term in the .XXX, .ADULT, .PORN and .SEX TLDs) or to lapse their block meaning the domain became open for registration or block by a third party.

With the eligibility requirement now removed, it is open to registrants of an AdultBlock (or GlobalBlock, since .XXX now forms part of that too), to unblock the .XXX domain for use.

If you do not currently have an AdultBlock or GlobalBlock, and you are concerned about your brand being registered under .XXX or the other ‘adult’ TLDs mentioned here, get in touch with your Domain Strategist or contact us here to find out how the blocking services can help.

.DK – Company Registrant email addresses to become visible in WHOIS under NIS2 Directive

Punktum dk, the Danish registry operator for .DK domain names, has announced that under the NIS2 directive, company Registrant email addresses will become publicly visible in the .DK WHOIS from 1 July 2025.

The registry will be contacting registrants of .DK domain names directly throughout the summer via email to inform them about this change.

If you are a .DK domain holder, it is imperative that the company Registrant email address does not contain any personal data and that you ensure the associated email address for companies is generic (for example “domains@company[dot]com”).

If you have provided a generic email address for your .DK domains, then no further action is required, however if you are using a personal email address, this will need to be updated before 1 July 2025.

Please do not hesitate to contact your Domain Strategist for further information or assistance in updating your .DK domain names.

.BE New Terms and Conditions

Domain Name Registration Services Belgium, the .BE registry, has announced that a new version of the “general terms and conditions for .BE domain name registrations” will come into force on 16 September 2025. These are the general terms and conditions that apply to every registrant of a .BE domain name. Therefore, from 16 June 2025, if you are the registrant of a .BE domain you will receive an email from the Registry stating the most important changes and a link to the new terms and conditions on the registry website.
Some of the changes are:

  • Changes around publicly available information, via the WHOIS function on their site. At the same time, domain name holders will have more control over which contact details are shown.
  • Clarify which parties can submit a request to receive info about domain name holders’ contact details.
  • Add a number of situations in which the registry check the contact details of domain name holders in order to comply with their legal obligations under NIS2 and other provisions.

.ASIA – 2025 Pricing Promotion extended

The registry operator for the .ASIA gTLD, DotAsia Organisation Ltd, is currently running a pricing promotion on .ASIA domain names.  Please note that this will be extended to 31 December 2025.

New registrations are available with a 65% discount on the first-year regular registration fee.

For further information on the registration requirements and pricing, or to place an order, contact your Domain Strategist or contact us here.