A domain name for a life-time

Norid is working on giving Norwegian individuals the opportunity to get a Norwegian domain name. A private domain name opens a lot of possibilities, such as a permanent email address independent of employers and Internet providers.

This is an important and extensive change of the Norwegian domain name policy, and many interest groups must get the opportunity to speak their mind on how the matter should be arranged before a policy for individuals is settled.

Why a private domain name?

Day by day private individuals are becoming more active Internet users, and they obviously wish to brand themselves on the web. Many people choose Facebook and Youtube, they establish a blog within the domain of a blog provider, or they get themselves their own domain name. Those who choose a domain name emphasize the possibility of having their own email address and their own website for the rest of their lives, independent of their place of study, their employer, or their Internet provider. Some people want a family domain where each family member can get their own email address and their own website. Others consider it an exciting challenge and a possibility for branding to develop their own website instead of getting a free, standard solution from a provider. They want to establish their private corner and get an identity on the web.

Web safety is getting more and more important. The Norwegian top level domain is well reputated for safety and high quality in general, and has achieved very high scores in international surveys. Many people consider this very important when they choose a top level domain for their domain registration.

Many questions – many answers

There are some legal issues concerning private individuals which have to be straightened out, such as privacy issues, consumer rights, and rules for inheritance. We will also have to consider whether private individuals should continue to register in the second level domain priv.no, where individuals so far have registered, or if they should get the opportunity to register directly within .no together with companies and other organizations. A change at this specific point is vital and irreversible, so it is crucial that all affected groups get the opportunity to share their views.

A public hearing where everyone can participate is carried out. The answers from the hearing will be analyzed by independent consultants. Dependent on how clear an advice from the hearing, a domain name policy for individuals will then be created.

Norid's role

Norid's role is to organize a thorough and orderly process to get knowledge on needs and views and find the best solutions for society as a whole. Norpol, which is our advisory council for policy issues, is an important listening post in this process. We have also carried out several surveys and gathered knowledge on experiences from other countries, and we carry out this open hearing to get views from all parts of the Norwegian society.

We plan to have a new policy settled in the second half of 2010. As soon as the policy changes are implemented in our systems, we will open for applications from private individuals. We will inform in time so that all those interested in getting their own domain name could prepare themselves for an application.

Today's registrations within priv.no will be maintained

Until the new policy is ready, Norid will operate the second level domain priv.no for existing registrations. However, it will not be possible to register new domains within priv.no until a new policy is settled.

Milestones

Background