Whose possession is the domain name .com, a suffix that can be identified by anyone globally?

Initially managed by the US Department of Defense, the domain .com is now overseen by Verisign and ultimately falls under the authority of the United States.

Verisign operates as a middleman for registering .com domain names through ICANN-accredited registrars. It's noteworthy that internationalized domain names (IDNs) are compatible with the .com domain registry. The availability of IDNs enables users to use non-ASCII characters in domain names, which can be particularly beneficial for people who speak languages that use non-Latin scripts.

The .com domain name is a TLD within the Internet domain name system.

Originally intended for commercial entities, the ".com" abbreviation reflected this purpose. However, unrestricted registration availability for the domains .com, .org, and .net led to the loss of this distinction. Ultimately, these domains became widely used among all types of organizations, regardless of their business or non-commercial status. The current significance of .com refers less to its initial commercial connotation and more to its widespread recognition and ease of recall, making it a popular choice for establishing an online presence.

The ownership of the domain name .com is managed by Verisign, an American company that operates multiple domain name registry services. Verisign has been granted the rights to operate and administer the .com top-level domain by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). As such, they are responsible for ensuring the stability and security of the .com domain. While individuals and businesses can register and own specific .com domains, the overall management of the .com domain is overseen by Verisign.

To clarify further, Verisign is the authoritative registry operator for the .com top-level domain (TLD). They maintain the master database of all registered .com domain names and are responsible for the technical infrastructure that allows these domains to function properly.

However, it's important to note that individual .com domain names are owned by the entities or individuals who register them. This means that any person or organization can register and own a specific .com domain as long as it has not already been taken.

Verisign's role is to ensure the overall management and operation of the .com TLD, but they do not have direct ownership over individual .com domains. Instead, they provide the necessary systems and support for the functioning of the entire .com domain namespace.