The area title registrar Freenom, whose free domains have lengthy been a draw for spammers and phishers, has stopped permitting new area title registrations. The transfer comes simply days after the Dutch registrar was sued by Meta, which alleges the corporate ignores abuse complaints about phishing web sites whereas monetizing visitors to these abusive domains.
Freenom’s web site contains a message saying it’s not presently permitting new registrations.
Freenom is the area title registry service supplier for 5 so-called “nation code prime stage domains” (ccTLDs), together with .cf for the Central African Republic; .ga for Gabon; .gq for Equatorial Guinea; .ml for Mali; and .tk for Tokelau.
Freenom has all the time waived the registration charges for domains in these country-code domains, presumably as a strategy to encourage customers to pay for associated companies, reminiscent of registering a .com or .web area, for which Freenom does cost a charge.
On March 3, 2023, social media big Meta sued Freenom in a Northern California court docket, alleging cybersquatting violations and trademark infringement. The lawsuit additionally seeks details about the identities of 20 completely different “John Does” — Freenom prospects that Meta says have been notably energetic in phishing assaults in opposition to Fb, Instagram, and WhatsApp customers.
The lawsuit factors to a 2021 examine (PDF) on the abuse of domains performed by Interisle Consulting Group, which found that these ccTLDs operated by Freenom made up 5 of the High Ten TLDs most abused by phishers.
“The 5 ccTLDs to which Freenom offers its companies are the TLDs of alternative for cybercriminals as a result of Freenom offers free area title registration companies and shields its prospects’ id, even after being offered with proof that the domains are getting used for unlawful functions,” the grievance expenses. “Even after receiving notices of infringement or phishing by its prospects, Freenom continues to license new infringing domains to those self same prospects.”
Meta additional alleges that “Freenom has repeatedly did not take acceptable steps to research and reply appropriately to reviews of abuse,” and that it monetizes the visitors from infringing domains by reselling them and by including “parking pages” that redirect guests to different industrial web sites, web sites with pornographic content material, and web sites used for malicious exercise like phishing.
Freenom has not but responded to requests for remark. However makes an attempt to register a site via the corporate’s web site as of publication time generated an error message that reads:
“Due to technical points the Freenom software for brand new registrations is briefly out-of-order. Please settle for our apologies for the inconvenience. We’re engaged on an answer and hope to renew operations shortly. Thanks to your understanding.”
Picture: Interisle Consulting Group, Phishing Panorama 2021, Sept. 2021.
Though Freenom relies in The Netherlands, a few of its different sister corporations named as defendants within the lawsuit are integrated in the US.
Meta initially filed this lawsuit in December 2022, nevertheless it requested the court docket to seal the case, which might have restricted public entry to court docket paperwork within the dispute. That request was denied, and Meta amended and re-filed the lawsuit final week.
Based on Meta, this isn’t only a case of one other area title registrar ignoring abuse complaints as a result of it’s dangerous for enterprise. The lawsuit alleges that the homeowners of Freenom “are a part of an online of corporations created to facilitate cybersquatting, all for the good thing about Freenom.”
“On data and perception, a number of of the ccTLD Service Suppliers, ID Defend, Yoursafe, Freedom Registry, Fintag, Cervesia, VTL, Joost Zuurbier Administration Companies B.V., and Doe Defendants have been created to cover belongings, guarantee illegal exercise together with cybersquatting and phishing goes undetected, and to additional the objectives of Freenom,” Meta charged.
It stays unclear why Freenom has stopped permitting area registration. In June 2015, ICANN suspended Freenom’s skill to create new domains or provoke inbound transfers of domains for 90 days. Based on Meta, the suspension was premised on ICANN’s willpower that Freenom “has engaged in a sample and observe of trafficking in or use of domains an identical or confusingly much like a trademark or service mark of a 3rd celebration through which the Registered Title Holder has no rights or respectable curiosity.”
A spokesperson for ICANN mentioned the group has no perception as to why Freenom may need stopped registering domains. But it surely mentioned Freenom (d/b/a OpenTLD B.V.) additionally obtained formal enforcement notices from ICANN in 2017 and 2020 for violating completely different obligations.
A duplicate of the amended grievance in opposition to Freenom, et. al, is on the market right here (PDF).
March 8, 6:11 p.m. ET: Up to date story with response from ICANN. Corrected attribution of the area abuse report.
