The following domain registrars appear to have been blocked in India after the Delhi High Court in February issued an order directing the IT Ministry to take action against them for non-compliance with the IT Rules, 2021:
- Namecheap
- Dynadot
- Tucows
- Sarek
- Gransy
The websites of these registrars are not uniformly blocked across all internet service providers (ISPs) yet. We were able to access all these sites on a Railwire broadband connection but not on Airtel and Jio connections.
The blocking of these registrars wasspotted by domain name lawyerAnkur Raheja on March 12, who shared it on Twitter, and was verified by us afterwards. Namecheap has alsoconfirmedthat it has been blocked by some ISPs.
STAY ON TOP OF TECH POLICY:Our daily newsletter with top stories from MediaNama and around the world, delivered to your inbox before 9 AM. Clickhereto sign up today!
Why does this matter:The blocking of domain registrars, especially popular ones like Namecheap, severely affects customers who have domains registered with these companies as they won’t be able to access their account for domain renewals, transfers, DNS configuration, etc.
Hi! Our website is being blocked by some Indian ISPs. Please use a secure VPN to access our website until the issue is resolved
— Namecheap.com (@Namecheap) March 14, 2023
Why were these domains registrars blocked:According to LiveLaw, the Delhi HC directed action against these registrars for:
- Not setting up grievance redressal officers as required under the IT Rules, 2021
- Not following the orders issued by Indian courts and authorities
The court was hearing a bunch of pleas about fraudulent domain names that are impersonating well-known business houses. The pleas were filed by businesses like Dabur, Tata Sky, Mother Dairy, Ultratech Cement, Microsoft, Snapdeal, Jockey, and others, whohad approached the court seeking relief against misuse of their trademarks.
On what grounds wereblocking orders issued?The IT Ministry has powers to issue blocking orders under Section 69A of the IT Act, 2000, but only “in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States or public order or for preventing incitement to the commission of any cognizable offence relating to above.” It’s not clear if or how these grounds apply to the reasons highlighted by the Delhi HC above.
RBI should step in as well:The Delhi HC also suggested that RBI take steps to curb instances where amounts are accepted in the bank accounts of those impersonating well-known companies.The court asked RBI whether it can “issue guidelines making it mandatory for banks to match beneficiary’s name or name in the billing details with the account holder’s name ‘and not merely the account number’ whenever banks accept online or offline payments,” LiveLaw reported. The court is expected to hear the case next on March 27.
This post is released under aCC-BY-SA 4.0 license. Please feel free to republish on your site, with attribution and a link. Adaptation and rewriting, though allowed, should be true to the original.
Also Read
FAQs
Why were these domains registrars blocked: According to LiveLaw, the Delhi HC directed action against these registrars for: Not setting up grievance redressal officers as required under the IT Rules, 2021. Not following the orders issued by Indian courts and authorities.
Why is Namecheap blocked in India? ›
Big brands in India had moved to the high court and filed a case against several domain registrars for refusing to block domains violating their trademarks. Complainants also argued that the websites used their brand names to scam clients large sums of money.
Why is Dynadot blocked in India? ›
Dynadot's headquarters is located in San Mateo, California, with offices in Zhengzhou and Beijing, China, as well as Toronto, Canada. On 15 February 2023, Delhi High Court ordered Indian IT Ministry to block Dynadot and other domain registrars over cybersquatting and not complying with Indian IT Rules, 2021.
Which domain name registrar is best in India? ›
10 Best Places to Register a Domain Name in India 2024
- 2.1 GoDaddy.
- 2.2 Namecheap.
- 2.3 BigRock.
- 2.4 Google Domains (Now, Squarespace Domains)
- 2.5 Name.com.
- 2.6 Hostinger.
- 2.7 Bluehost.
- 2.8 Domain.com.
A blocklist is a collection of IP addresses or domain names that have been identified by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) or anti-spam solutions because they're suspected of suspicious activities, such as spamming, phishing, or sending emails to spam traps.
What websites are blocked in India? ›
List of Websites Blocked in India
| Category | Some Examples |
|---|
| Insult, slander and defamation | 4chan Reddit (specific threads or users) Twitter (specific accounts) Facebook (specific groups or pages) Quora (specific answers or users) |
| Invasion of privacy | Spokeo PeekYou BeenVerified TruthFinder Intelius |
15 more rowsMar 13, 2024
In India, a domain name per se is not legally protected. Nevertheless, under the Trade Marks Act of 1999 and the Trade Marks Rules of 2002, any individual or company in India can get protection for a newly formed domain name.
What is the most used domain in India? ›
. in: This is the most popular ccTLD in India, and is used by a wide range of organizations, from businesses to government agencies. . co.in: This ccTLD is used by businesses and organizations that want to create a domain name that is specific to India.
Is Dynadot trusted? ›
Yes, Dynadot is a good registrar. It's ICANN-accredited and manages around 4.5 million domains.
What domain does India use? ›
The . in domain name extension is the country code TLD (ccTLD) for India.
1. GoDaddy. Based in Tempe, Arizona, GoDaddy was founded in 1997 and, with over 84 million registered domain names, they are the largest domain name registrar globally.
What is the most secure domain registrar? ›
The Best 10 Domain Name Registrars of 2024
- Namecheap: Best for user-friendly interface.
- Hostinger: Best for hosting packages.
- NameSilo: Best for security.
- Dynadot: Best for low renewal rates.
- Hover: Best for low-cost business email.
- GoDaddy: Best for ultra-low intro rates.
- Bluehost: Best for new WordPress users.
Best 10 Domain Name Registrars of 2024
- NameSilo: Best for Privacy Protection Features.
- Dynadot: Best for Auction Services.
- Google Domains: Best Value for Price.
- Hover: Best for Bulk Discounts.
- GoDaddy:Best for Ultra-Low Intro Rates.
- HostGator: Best for Low-Cost Hosting with a Free Domain.
- Hostinger: Best for Hosting Packages.
One of the easiest ways to unblock websites is with a public web proxy. It may not be as fast or secure as a VPN, but a public web proxy is a good option when you use public PCs that don't let you install a VPN. Proxies hide your IP address and route your internet traffic through different public servers.
How to unsuspend a namecheap domain? ›
Often, all it takes to lift the suspension is responding to the email sent by Namecheap, helping to understand why your account or site should be unsuspended. Information problems, like missing contact details or payment issues, are common causes of domain suspension.
Why is my domain being blocked? ›
Domains can get blacklisted if there are too many spam complaints—or if the email appears to share the hallmarks of unsolicited promotion. ISPs may block users from accessing blacklisted websites and may prevent them from receiving an email from blacklisted domains or IP addresses.
Why is VPN blocked in India? ›
VPNs are legal in India. However, VPN service providers in India must log VPN traffic and provide the information to the government under request, which defeats the whole purpose of a VPN. The main concerns that led to such enforcement were maintaining national security and preventing cybercrime.
Why is VPN service not available in India? ›
This change is because of a cybersecurity order passed by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In). The order requires VPN providers in India to log all VPN customer data, and to keep this data for five years. At McAfee, we're committed to keeping our customers' data private.
Is Namecheap a Russian company? ›
Namecheap, Inc. is a US-based company.
Is Namecheap based in the US? ›
United States
And, people aren't the only thing powering Namecheap from the US — our data center is based in Phoenix, Arizona. Enjoy the full flexibility of remote work as part of a company that actively advocates for privacy and internet freedom in America, and around the world.
