Freenom, the controversial registry for free domains, has lost its governing deal with Gabon due to years of abuse and will have seven million .ga domains deleted as a result.
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French ccTLD registry AFNIC reported that it has helped migrate TLD from Freenom to the Gabonese government's ANINF for the past year, and ANINF has indicated it would like to end "abusive practices" surrounding Freenom's management of the .ga TLD.
After the technical handover begins today and runs until 7 June, most of the domains in .ga will be deleted, making .ga the seventh-largest TLD overall and fourth-largest ccTLD after China, Germany and the UK.
Freenom, a company known for providing free domain name registration services, has recently come under fire for its questionable practices. This has ultimately resulted in the loss of their management of the Gabonese top-level domain (TLD). This development has sent shockwaves through the online community and has raised significant concerns about the governance of TLDs.
The issue with Freenom is that they have been accused of engaging in abusive practices such as domain squatting, where they register large numbers of domain names with the intention of selling them at inflated prices, as well as failing to comply with the regulations and requirements set forth by the Gabonese authorities for the management of their country-code top-level domain.
The impact of this situation cannot be overstated. It serves as a stark reminder of the potential consequences of unethical behavior in the domain registration industry. Furthermore, it underscores the critical need for domain registrars to operate with integrity and respect for the laws and regulations of the countries they serve.
The incident with Freenom highlights the imperative for ethical conduct and compliance in the domain management sector. It emphasizes the pivotal role that domain registrars play in maintaining the trust and stability of the internet infrastructure.
Freenom's downfall is a delicious example of karma biting back. Their shady business practices and disregard for domainers' rights have finally led to their demise. The deletion of seven million.ga domains is a mere fraction of the damage Freenom has caused.
As the dust settles, it's clear that Freenom's reckless abandon has given rise to a power vacuum, ripe for exploitation by more responsible players in the domain registration space.