domains Are European domainers going to start getting shunned?

[equity78]

As we get closer to GDPR being official more and more reactions and questions come in. I noticed today that Theo at DomainGang.com is going to block Europe from accessing his blog. Someone told me I should do that two weeks ago. I had a couple readers express their desire to ban Europeans from making offers on or buying their domain names. One reader came from a place of worry and the other a place … [Read more...]

 

[JanO]

Before becoming a horse breeder I was a salesman and one of the most valuable lessons I learned was; when doing business stay away from politics and religion.

 

[Kate]

Add the EU to the list, because they should have stopped with the "right to be forgotten" and the idiotic "cookie notifications". Now we all have to suffer under GDPR.

The right to be forgotten was introduced a few years ago and indeed caused some headaches. So in a way GDPR is nothing new really.
The cookie thing is indeed pointless. But you know politicians like to show they are doing something to protect you (while at the same time violating your privacy even more).

Just like television, let them have their laws that only apply to them in their region instead of having the whole world suffer because they are stuck in 2005, scared to death to use eBay and enter their credit card information.

You haven't noticed how the domain industry is US-centric. And usually the US always enforces its own rules upon the rest of the world, and we have to carry on.
Americans think that their rules are the best, and it's the most natural thing to do.
But now that the EU is taking the lead for a change, see the uproar. Funny. Why should Europeans always be at the receiving end ?

By the way, companies had 4 years to anticipate and prepare for GDPR, why are people scrambling at the last minute ? This is not serious.

I can shut down both of your arguments with one word.

BREXIT.

A real success story. I mean, a car crash unfolding in real time.
On the other hand yes, the US is really a good example for the rest of the world, especially nowadays.
But no thanks

 

[kriss05]

So Domain Gang imposed sanctions on EU domainers lol. What a funny world we are living in now.

 

[boker]

China is segregated, and .COM values are doing just fine.

Add the EU to the list, because they should have stopped with the "right to be forgotten" and the idiotic "cookie notifications". Now we all have to suffer under GDPR.

Just like television, let them have their laws that only apply to them in their region instead of having the whole world suffer because they are stuck in 2005, scared to death to use eBay and enter their credit card information.

What's next? Permission checks every time you want to connect a device to the internet to regulate what is being connected? Oy!

You are under the impression that US traffic/customers make up for around 90% of the total in this industry? Sedo and the other big guys in this industry(probably namepros as well), they all have roughly the same traffic, around 25-30% US traffic and 30-40% EU traffic, I wonder which of the big players could afford to loose 40% of their revenue? You should ask google to cut off Europe and loose almost half of their profits and see what will be the response. A few banal blog owners who target mostly US customers doesn't mean anything for anybody.

PS: you can complain as much as you want, but for me, the new privacy works, I'm getting rid of so many companies which should have never sent me any emails and follow my contacts to see what they can 'recommend'

 

[NameOmnia]

You are under the impression that US traffic/customers make up for around 90% of the total in this industry? Sedo and the other big guys in this industry(probably namepros as well), they all have roughly the same traffic, around 25-30% US traffic and 30-40% EU traffic, I wonder which of the big players could afford to loose 40% of their revenue? You should ask google to cut off Europe and loose almost half of their profits and see what will be the response. A few banal blog owners who target mostly US customers doesn't mean anything for anybody.

^^^^^
THIS!!!!

Let's also remember that SEDO is a German company, Undeveloped is Dutch and that Europe has something like 750 million inhabitants while the US have half.

If we want to put it under this ( silly imo ) umbrella then Who is going to isolate who?? Perception is everything...

So far all and I mean ALL serious businesses all over the world regardless to their size have made adjustments to comply and sent out a ton of emails so maybe this is a wonderful opportunities to see who is worth trusting and who is not.

 

[zeff]

GDPR has not been set against domainers and domaining or to oppose Europe to the rest of the world. We all know that.
It's been set for privacy and to let citizens managing thir privacy online.
Let me illustrate with an example. Like many people, i've tried blogging using wordpress and i've also registered an avatar on gravatar. On both websites, i've left my private informations. Once i've decided to stop blogging, i've also decided to quit wordpress and gravatar as i was not using them anymore. Guess what ? Until the 25th of may, both of them didn't have a deleting account fonction. So that means that these two websites can keep your private informations for life and doing whatever they want ! I was not the master of my own identity, email address, mail address and phone number ! Thanks to GDPR, they cannot do that anymore. So i think that's a very good thing.
Another example for GDPR is fighting against fraud. I don't know how it is outside Europe but here fraud using personal informations is quite important. Frauders collect your personal informations you leave on websites (they also can use the whois database) and make false documents (ID, salary slips, ...) to obtain credits for example. For the persons who have been abused, it is very tough and some of them are in big trouble as they must prove that their identities have been stolen. So, if private informations are more difficult to get for frauders, that's also a very good thing.
Nothing is perfect for sure. But at least GDPR gives back to citizens the power of administrating their private informations online and protects them more.

 

[Cristi Marin]

I don't know man, but that seems like a decision made out of rage by putting all people
in the same bucket and blame them all without thinking objectively.

Not european domain investors initiated this GDPR act, but some fancy suits in the EU
with an ego complex and frustrations felt the need to make a name of their self and mess up
with this industry.

We, european domainers are upset about this b.s. decision as much as anyone else
and it affects us all.

Are we gonna go back 100 or even 200 years?
✌

 

[eurorealtor]

YouTube had to implement disclosure of sponsorship because people in the EU couldn't tell the difference between a paid endorsement or someone just saying they love the product.

Yes, we all idiots in Europa

Now we all have to suffer under GDPR.

In my understanding, it should protect you, not to hurt you.

the whole world suffer because they are stuck in 2005, scared to death to use eBay and enter their credit card information.

We are also scared of spiders, dark, open eyes under water, mothers in law, santa claus and Mr. Trump

 

[Kate]

Brexit was smart move.. now Brits can do business with anyone they want.

They already can. Not on the same terms though.
As they insist on leaving the customs union, they will lose some of the benefits of free trade with the EU. In short: goods yes, services no.
Did you know for example that the EU has free-trade agreements with over 50 countries and that the UK is going to lose the benefit of those agreements, and will have to renegotiate everything, on its own (read: with dramatically diminished leverage)

EU is killing herself by putting more regulation.

And the US isn't causing disruption through its own regulation frenzy ? You clearly don't seem to be on top of news.

 

[Crysis]

 

[NigelD]

I wouldn't blame the rest of the world blocking EU traffic from their websites. In fact it might help reverse all this GDPR nonsense. However spare a thought for us poor souls in the UK. We voted to get out of the EU and we're still adopting their pathetic rules. Nominet, this week, removed registrant's details from whois - so now makes it harder to see if a website is genuine - a scammers dream. Problem is UKIP is now weaker following Brexit (as people think UKIP achieved their purpose) and there is no effective opposition to EU rules being adopted. So in some ways we're in a worse position now than when the Conservative and Labour Party had UKIP winning more and more of their voters.

Funny thing is we have all the experts telling us brexit will make the UK poorer and yet we have EU legislation like GDPR strangling small businesses and harming international relations.

 

[donnied79]

Being compliant with GDPR if you are not an ecommerce or a big website requires 1 hour of work max. There are free plugins that allows you basically to do everything you need. Also if you are not in line with requirements you are not going to be fined, but informed and still have like 2 months to make the modification. Blocking access to European countries is simply absurd. Is like to use a gun to shot a mosquito.

 

[branding]

Brexit was smart move.. now Brits can do business with anyone they want.

Well, in hindsight the majority of the British don't think it was a smart move. It was an uneducated vote for most people and it's not good for business. Trading with the biggest EU economies got harder, the £ took a major hit and I could go on.

There's a lot of room for improvement when it comes to the EU but when you look at it in an educated way it's a smart move to form a block together and reach out to other countries instead of isolating yourself like the big players (us, China, Russia) are doing.

As for the GDPR, sure some things are annoying but when you look at the big picture it's good that they acknowledge privacy is something to be taken seriously.

Do I agree with everything thats in it? Ofcourse not. I'm not a big fan of the whois going 'dark'. But it's not the GDPR to blame. Some ccTLDs have great working alternatives that could have been implemented long ago on a global scale.

 

[Kate]

Look up. Over your head.
Do you see ? The sky is falling.

 

[Acroplex]

EU traffic represents 9% - 11% of annual traffic at DG, with 5% coming from the UK.

The benefits of blocking that inbound traffic outnumber the issues imposed by the over-reaching GDPR.

Until it's considerably more clear what is feasible through the GDPR and what isn't, e.g. whether companies in the US should give a toss about GDPR claims, it's prudent to block such traffic. Many US companies already took the same approach.

Privacy is one thing, and the crap that Eurocrat bureaucrats glued together to create a sword hanging over the head of everyone is another. Peter Thiel already called this legislation out as "jealousy" of the Europeans towards US tech companies.

ICANN took a spineless approach as well, rushing a temporary solution that stunts the WHOIS, until it goes fully dark. If you support the GDPR, you're shooting your own foot as domain investors.

 

[Acroplex]

You just give up 9-11% of your visitors, because of GDPR? That's your solution?

Yes. For the content I provide it's safer to block off EU traffic from 28 countries, than to blindly succumb to EU directives. The GDPR is very WIDE in its compliance requirements.Why be the guinea pig, I'll give it time to see how GDPR is played out. Already, European law firms are getting ready to stage lawsuits against US companies.

Expect a US-originating mandate for WHOIS to counter the current mess. ICANN will be under a lot of pressure in the coming months, and they already sued the German .DE registry in order to keep registration information in the WHOIS.

 

[equity78]

Got the best comment now, guy says he from Canada and girlfriend from Europe. he broke up with her because of GDPR. #Hilarious

 

[NameOmnia]

I am not sure why one should or would want to buy visitors from Europe.

Cookie policy has been in place for years and for the privacy issue I think it is respectful of people's right to know what businesses are doing with sensible data.

The idea of placing a "no Europeans" disclaimer for NP auctions seems ridiculous..discriminatory to say the least and all this because people do not want to take privacy seriously and comply?

I disagree

 

[Arca]

They want privacy, then isolate them!

Yes, let’s isolate Europe, let them have their own walled off privacy conscious Internet.

China has already done it, as their population is isolated behind the Great Firewall of China.

Let’s get rid of the international World Wide Web and create a Web of Webs instead, one that is splintered and nation-based. That’s the direction we’re moving in anyways.

Eventually we’ll end up with practically separate internets, that for the most part function as disparate and unconnected autonomous spheres, that are walled off from the World Wide Web. Maybe well even have govs establish alternative roots. Not difficult to accomplish, though you end up with internets, rather than the Internet.

You don’t have to be a genius see what would happen to domain values and the .COM paradigm if the universal Internet gets thrown out and replaced by the kind of region-by-region market fragmentation we seem to be moving towards... It's going to take years and years. But we're getting there.

 

[Arca]

China is segregated, and .COM values are doing just fine.

Add the EU to the list, because they should have stopped with the "right to be forgotten" and the idiotic "cookie notifications". Now we all have to suffer under GDPR.

Just like television, let them have their laws that only apply to them in their region instead of having the whole world suffer because they are stuck in 2005, scared to death to use eBay and enter their credit card information.

What's next? Permission checks every time you want to connect a device to the internet to regulate what is being connected? Oy!

They’re presently the only large economy/region that has established a technological and legislative framework for a strong virtual border and a separate domestic Internet. That outlier status allows them be separated, yet also integrated, so for now they can have their cake and eat it too. But the overall dynamic of the World Wide Web is going to get very different once other countries follow suit.

With the continued balkanization of the Internet we may see the fracturing of DNS itself over time, which will seriously undermine trust in the accuracy of the DNS system.

Make no mistake, the ICANN approved root is the backbone of the domain industry, and if that foundation is damaged it’s going to wreak havoc on commercial domain sales.

 

[eurorealtor]

I can shut down both of your arguments with one word.

BREXIT.

Any union that would allow that to happen is bound to foul up anything they have a say in, including the internet. Please feel free to continue to pat each other on the backs while the ship sinks. Good day bros.

We "all" want exit the EU. Until than we have to keep going.

 

[Jasonn]

GDPR has not been set against domainers and domaining or to oppose Europe to the rest of the world. We all know that.
It's been set for privacy and to let citizens managing thir privacy online.
Let me illustrate with an example. Like many people, i've tried blogging using wordpress and i've also registered an avatar on gravatar. On both websites, i've left my private informations. Once i've decided to stop blogging, i've also decided to quit wordpress and gravatar as i was not using them anymore. Guess what ? Until the 25th of may, both of them didn't have a deleting account fonction. So that means that these two websites can keep your private informations for life and doing whatever they want ! I was not the master of my own identity, email address, mail address and phone number ! Thanks to GDPR, they cannot do that anymore. So i think that's a very good thing.
Another example for GDPR is fighting against fraud. I don't know how it is outside Europe but here fraud using personal informations is quite important. Frauders collect your personal informations you leave on websites (they also can use the whois database) and make false documents (ID, salary slips, ...) to obtain credits for example. For the persons who have been abused, it is very tough and some of them are in big trouble as they must prove that their identities have been stolen. So, if private informations are more difficult to get for frauders, that's also a very good thing.
Nothing is perfect for sure. But at least GDPR gives back to citizens the power of administrating their private informations online and protects them more.

Yeah well now I can't even see the who is of my own domains thanks to gdpr so I am no fan. I don't care if companies have my name and address. I'd rather have working whois than get a few less spam emails.

 

[Acroplex]

Opposing something that is cloudy in its far-reaching requirements, means voicing that opposition. My business decision does just that. I'm here to clarify some things, and I don't expect everyone to agree with my decision.

A year from now, hopefully things will be more clear.

 

[RozasMD]

EU traffic represents 9% - 11% of annual traffic at DG, with 5% coming from the UK.

The benefits of blocking that inbound traffic outnumber the issues imposed by the over-reaching GDPR.

Until it's considerably more clear what is feasible through the GDPR and what isn't, e.g. whether companies in the US should give a toss about GDPR claims, it's prudent to block such traffic. Many US companies already took the same approach.

Privacy is one thing, and the crap that Eurocrat bureaucrats glued together to create a sword hanging over the head of everyone is another. Peter Thiel already called this legislation out as "jealousy" of the Europeans towards US tech companies.

ICANN took a spineless approach as well, rushing a temporary solution that stunts the WHOIS, until it goes fully dark. If you support the GDPR, you're shooting your own foot as domain investors.

To be honest, all of this sounds like an anti-EU rant. Wonder if your Greek origin combined with the harsh 2015 Greek crisis has anything to do with all this fuss.

You choose to block over 500 million people. Well, that's ok. Everyone, every business, has the right to choose what to do with their potential market. Sounds nuts to me, but hey, it's your decision and you know better than me.

Don't get me wrong, all this GDPR-Whois thing is annoying to me too. But all this 'crazy stupid Europeans' stuff I'm reading sounds a bit childish. You're entitled to deeply dislike this law but there's no need to look down on -or even insult- 500 million people.

EU has the highest standards in quality of life, as high as you can find anywhere in the world. We're not a bunch of idiots. We have our own point of view and our own way to do things. And we are entitled to have them. You don't have to like them, and we'll make our own mistakes -GDPR might or might not be one of them-. Some of the things posted in this thread are a massive disrespect.

To some of those the only possible answer I can think of is 'Who the hell do you think you are to judge us?'.

And by the way, Whois is a collateral damage to all of this. EU is not attacking the domaining industry in purpose. Keep calm, guys.