After years of slow progress, the domain name industry is finally on track for the next round of new gTLD applications set for Q2 2026. The new Applicant Guidebook entered its final stage of public comments this month. The recent ICANN 83 meeting in Prague brought renewed momentum for the long-awaited next round of new gTLD applications. However, the enthusiasm was somewhat tempered by abuse concerns voiced in the Government Advisory Committee (GAC).
GAC Advice on bulk registration
At the meeting’s closing on June 12, the GAC submitted an advice piece to the board that would place substantial limitations on domain registrations in bulk. The issue of bulk registrations being used for spam mailings, phishing or the operation of botnets is nothing new. Reports from parties like InterIsle have pointed out time and again that cheap bulk registrations allow cybercriminals to spread their risk across a large number of domains for little cost. The .top and .pro domains that launched in 2012 are often cited as examples and are 10 to 20 times more likely to host phishing sites than .com.
Impact on gTLD applicants
Most of the cited cybercrime problems exist within the current TLD space. However, the GAC’s advice puts a strong emphasis on recommendations for the next round of gTLDs. In other words, the application procedure is used as leverage for achieving a broader goal. This is reflected in the recommendations. The most significant and impactful one is a mandatory “pre-approval” for any application likely to be used for bulk registrations. The GAC does not specify what criteria should be used to determine whether this is the case for any given applicant.
Strong, but not unexpected advice
The advice, though one with far reaching consequences, does not come as a complete surprise to those working in the domain name industry. The governments assembled in the GAC have repeatedly stressed their concerns about DNS abuse, citing issues such as phishing, spam, and the use of anonymous registrations for other malicious activities. What did come as a surprise in Prague was the extent of these concerns in relation to the next round. On the first day of the meeting, the U.S. government representative caused a stir by expressing opposition to most new gTLDs citing abuse concerns.
Next steps
Though the impact of the GAC advice may be far reaching, there is still time to address the GAC concerns. The GAC itself has set a timeline for the meeting in Dublin (October 25-30, 2025). This still leaves time to include measures in the final version of the Applicant Guidebook, should that be necessary. It is however also possible that the advice is addressed in policies and contracts governing all registries and registrars. It is, after all, about issues observed in the existing namespace.
Geo and brand applicants unlikely to be affected
While these developments raise concerns for prospective applicants of generic extensions with a business case based on high registration volumes, there is a silver lining for those considering GeoTLDs and BrandTLDs. Due to their geographic or brand-specific scope and matching policies, they are rarely interesting to parties seeking bulk. Their pricing models also reduce the risks the GAC is most concerned about. As such, it is unlikely that GeoTLD and BrandTLD applicants will be affected directly by any measures taken following the concerns raised in Prague.
Want to know more?
For those interested in understanding the full scope of the discussions, recordings of the ICANN83 Prague sessions are publicly available and offer valuable insight into both opportunities and challenges in the next gTLD round. If you are interested in applying for a new extension and need further guidance and support, please visit our website: https://helloregistry.com.