Today was a historic day at ICANN’s 41st international meeting here in Singapore. In a special meeting, ICANN’s Board of Directors approved the new Generic Top Level Domain (gTLD) program, finally setting in motion the process to introduce new gTLDs to the Internet. The decision follows years of planning, discussion and deliberation between a multitude […]
The latest ICANN applicant guidebook was released in mid-April and covers the introduction of new generic Top-Level Domains (gTLD). The introduction of new gTLDs has been an ongoing conversation for more than a decade; We have an opportunity to approve the final draft in time for consideration of the new gTLD implementation program during the […]
You’ve probably heard about New TLDs (top-level domains) – the single biggest expansion of the domain name system ever. With New TLDs, anyone will be able to apply for their own top-level domain extension – the part after the dot. It’s expected that the Internet namespace will grow from just 21 gTLDs (plus 250 or […]
I just returned from ICANN’s 39th International Public Meeting, held last week in the beautiful city of Cartagena, Colombia. This was a highly anticipated meeting by many in the domain industry, as major developments were expected with regard to both the new generic Top Level Domain (gTLD) process and .XXX, the proposed extension for adult […]
In 2018, Tucows launched our Tiered Access Compliance and Operations (TACO) platform to manage registration data disclosure requests. From the start, we’ve tracked the requests we receive and committed to publishing this data to promote transparency around access to registrant information. In this post, we’re not only sharing our most recent TACO statistics, but taking […]
A strong digital identity starts with your domain—it’s like the front door to your brand online. For decades, businesses have built their presence under top-level domains (TLDs) such as .com, .net, or country-code options like .ca or .uk. In recent years, however, another category has emerged: branded, or “dot brand” TLDs. These give organizations the […]
When a domain expires, things can go downhill fast. Websites go dark, emails stop working, and, eventually, someone else could even grab the domain you built your brand on. Whether you manage your own domains or oversee them for clients, understanding how expiration works, how to prevent it, and how to restore an expired domain […]
Web3 is shaping the next phase of the Internet. As the next round of new top-level domain (nTLD) applications approaches, Web3 is becoming a bigger part of the conversation. The lines between Web2 and Web3 are starting to blur, opening new opportunities for domain resellers to explore. Still, there’s a lot of confusion about what […]
Owning a domain name isn’t just about claiming your spot online; it’s about recognizing domains as valuable digital assets worth protecting. Most of us register a domain to create a digital home for our business or passion project. However, domains can also be registered by legitimate investors looking to generate a profit, or by bad […]
Two important questions have been gaining traction within the ICANN community in 2025: how should registrars disclose information protected by Whois Privacy services, and should third-party proxy services be regulated as a new Contracted Party? There was a lot of conversation—both scheduled and informal—around these topics at previous ICANN meetings, and it will continue at […]
