.name Termination
A long-time domain owner expresses frustration over Verisign and ICANN's decision to terminate the '.name' top-level domain hierarchy. This move will result in the loss of personal websites, email addresses, and the functionality of IoT devices tied to these domains.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the risks of centralized control over internet infrastructure and the potential for corporate decisions to erase long-standing digital identities.
Nearly twenty-five years ago I registered neil.fraser.name to provide a stable presence on the Internet. It has been the home of this website, my email address, and a server for APIs. It predates YouTube, Facebook, and smart phones. Minutes after my daughter was born, I also registered beverly.fraser.name .
On 15 April 2026 Verisign proposed the destruction of the entire 3rd level of the '.name' hierarchy in order to simplify their administration. Astonishingly, on 28 July 2026 ICANN approved this action . I found out about this a few days ago when my registrar emailed me.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in