Copy

February 2019 

 

APTLD 75

This month, Domain Name Commissioner Brent Carey travelled to Dubai to attend the Asia Pacific Top Level Domain Name Association’s 75th conference (APTLD 75). Topics at APTLD 75 included GDPR, DNS Security, and the rights and responsibilities of registrants.


Delegates at APTLD 75

Brent presented on the topic of “a safer .nz”, and outlined how the Commission’s proactive compliance activities will contribute to the safety of the .nz space. He also covered:

Complaints and disputes in .nz

As part of the Commission’s ongoing commitment to improving the safety of the .nz space, we are reworking the section of the DNC website that deals with complaints and disputes. Check it out here.

Complaints and disputes the Commission can assist with are broadly divided into three main categories:

  • complaints linked to domain name registration details
  • Dispute Resolution Service complaints
  • any other complaints, including complaints about providers of .nz domain names.

Domain name holders (registrants) are required to supply and maintain accurate contact details on the registration record for their domain names. If registration details appear inaccurate or falsified, the Domain Name Commission can investigate. The Commission encourages anyone who is concerned about a .nz domain name to get in touch with our contact centre: info@dnc.org.nz.

The Dispute Resolution Service (DRS) has been a staple DNC service since its introduction in 2006. The DRS is used for situations where disputes arise over the registration of .nz domain names. A full review of the service is in the process of being planned; the goal is to bring the DRS into line with online dispute resolution best practice.

The Domain Name Commission’s mandate to handle complaints also extends to consumer complaints regarding .nz authorised registrars. If you have an issue with a .nz authorised registrar, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our contact centre.

DNS Flag Day

February 1 was DNS Flag Day, the date allocated for several global DNS updates that were set to break thousands of domain names across the world. Non-compliant DNS implementations no longer work after the Flag Day 2019 changes.

As part of ensuring the .nz space was ready for Flag Day, the Domain Name Commission partnered with the InternetNZ Research Team to identify problem .nz domains and warn registrants of the outcome of inaction. As part of this work, the Domain Name Commission emailed over 5000 registrants to warn them of the impending changes.

A scan conducted in July 2018 identified over 8000 domain names that were expected to break on DNS Flag Day. By the end of January 2019, that number had decreased to just over 500.

The DNC & InternetNZ approach is aligned with a number of other countries, such as the Czech Republic, Chile, and the Netherlands: all countries that invested significantly in measuring the impact of DNS Flag Day and informing their citizens of the impact of the changes.

Unsolicited domain registration invoices

Our contemporaries at the .au Domain Administration (auDA) have identified a pattern of .au registrants receiving unsolicited invoices requesting payment to register a .com domain name which corresponds with their existing domain name. The letters confusingly resemble an invoice, which could lead the recipient to incorrectly assume they are required to pay it, or indeed that it is an invoice for their existing domain name registration.

This particular sales technique has been observed before, and .nz registrants are not immune. If you receive an email like this, please be aware, you are under no obligation to register any other domain name that corresponds with your existing registration.

For questions relating to your .nz domain name, your registrar is likely the best first port of call. If you’re not sure who your registrar is, you can find out by performing a .nz registration data query (also known as a WHOIS search). You can do so by inputting your domain name in the search domains box on our website.

Contact centre update

The first few months of the year are usually quieter for the DNC’s contact centre. Despite this, the contact centre has received over 160 enquiries to date in 2019. This includes 47 phone calls.

You can reach our contact centre by email on info@dnc.org.nz, or by calling 0800 101 151.

.nz Annual Conference

The .nz Annual Conference is being held in Auckland from May 2 – 3. This year the conference includes a half day workshop on innovation, being held by Creative HQ. The goal of this session is to provide participants with a tangible innovative idea to be able to work on once the conference is over. (Please note, this session is open to .nz authorised registrars only).

This year, InternetNZ is offering three fellowships to attend the .nz Annual Conference. Applications are encouraged from anyone based in New Zealand that works for a .nz authorised registrar or domain name reseller who would otherwise be unable to attend. InternetNZ will cover accommodation and travel costs within New Zealand. Applicants should complete the application form by 29 March. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to email InternetNZ on conference@internetnz.net.nz

 


5c72495e-1e2b-4094-8aed-67836a14196a.jpg
Copyright © 2019 Domain Name Commission, All rights reserved.