domains EFF: Ethos Capital Is Grabbing Power Over Domain Names

[Lox]

Ethos Capital Is Grabbing Power Over Domain Names Again, Risking Censorship-For-Profit. Will ICANN Intervene?

Ethos Capital is at it again. In 2019, this secretive private equity firm that includes insiders from the domain name industry tried to buy the nonprofit that runs the .ORG domain. A huge coalition of nonprofits and users spoke out. Governments expressed alarm, and ICANN (the entity in charge of the internet’s domain name system) scuttled the sale. Now Ethos is buying a controlling stake in Donuts, the largest operator of “new generic top-level domains.” Donuts controls a large swathe of the domain name space. And through a recent acquisition, it also runs the technical operations of the .ORG domain. This acquisition raises the threat of increased censorship-for-profit: suspending or transferring domain names against the wishes of the user at the request of powerful corporations or governments. That’s why we’re asking the ICANN Board to demand changes to Donuts’ registry contracts to protect its users’ speech rights.

Donuts is big. It operates about 240 top-level domains. And last year it bought Afilias, another registry company that also runs the technical operations of the .ORG domain. Donuts already has questionable practices when it comes to safeguarding its users’ speech rights. Its contracts with ICANN contain unusual provisions that give Donuts an unreviewable and effectively unlimited right to suspend domain names- causing websites and other internet services to disappear.

read more (EFF.org)

 

[Lox]

It's no secret that your personal data is routinely traded by hundreds of companies. What's less known is; what will EC do with your domain names and Whois data.

Regards

 

[branding]

Thanks for this update. I'm following closely. It's a concerning development. Enough has been said about this on other threads, luckily the .org userbase is strong and not afraid to take action when needed.

Let's hope the community will be strong enough to safeguard .org from being a plaything of the big corporates. Troubling for sure, but I have hope for the community to prevail.

 

[Lox]

Thanks for this update. I'm following closely. It's a concerning development. Enough has been said about this on other threads, luckily the .org userbase is strong and not afraid to take action when needed.

Let's hope the community will be strong enough to safeguard .org from being a plaything of the big corporates. Troubling for sure, but I have hope for the community to prevail.

This inside-out job isn't just about the money. It's *personal.
(dot-eat-dot >Intermix Media [News Corp] > Leaf Group [Demand Media], Rightside etc, many dots)

etc ...

 

[bmugford]

Ethos Capital Is Grabbing Power Over Domain Names Again, Risking Censorship-For-Profit. Will ICANN Intervene?

Ethos Capital is at it again. In 2019, this secretive private equity firm that includes insiders from the domain name industry tried to buy the nonprofit that runs the .ORG domain. A huge coalition of nonprofits and users spoke out. Governments expressed alarm, and ICANN (the entity in charge of the internet’s domain name system) scuttled the sale. Now Ethos is buying a controlling stake in Donuts, the largest operator of “new generic top-level domains.” Donuts controls a large swathe of the domain name space. And through a recent acquisition, it also runs the technical operations of the .ORG domain. This acquisition raises the threat of increased censorship-for-profit: suspending or transferring domain names against the wishes of the user at the request of powerful corporations or governments. That’s why we’re asking the ICANN Board to demand changes to Donuts’ registry contracts to protect its users’ speech rights.

Donuts is big. It operates about 240 top-level domains. And last year it bought Afilias, another registry company that also runs the technical operations of the .ORG domain. Donuts already has questionable practices when it comes to safeguarding its users’ speech rights. Its contracts with ICANN contain unusual provisions that give Donuts an unreviewable and effectively unlimited right to suspend domain names- causing websites and other internet services to disappear.

read more (EFF.org)

I called it. If Ethos wants to have this fight again, we can do it. We will mobilize even harder this time, especially if they try to mess with .ORG.

The idea of trying to extract extra money from charities and non-profits, because you can via no-bid contract, and for no valid reason is a not real popular.

The Ethos .ORG takeover was rightfully rejected. If this is a backdoor attempt we are going to have a problem.

Brad