Revocation of a country-code top-level domain

Revocation of a country-code top-level domain is a process for addressing when the manager of a country-code top-level domain is failing to fulfill certain key duties in its role as a trustee of that domain. In such cases the ccTLD manager may be deemed to be substantially misbehaving and asked to take corrective action. Failure to cure the identified issues may result in the manager’s authority to manage the domain being revoked as a last resort.

Note: The revocation process is distinct from a transfer, which involves the consensual appointment of a new ccTLD manager; and the retirement process, which involves winding down operations of a ccTLD when its associated country or territory ceases to exist.

Cause for revocation

Country-code top-level domains are managed by local trustees known as ccTLD managers, who are to be overseen within the respective country or territory, rather than by IANA. Therefore the primary method of remediation of any issues associated with how a ccTLD is managed should be through local accountability measures within the local jurisdiction of the associated country or territory.

IANA’s ability to step in is limited to areas where it is deemed that:

• The conduct of the ccTLD manager imposes serious harm or has a substantial adverse impact on the Internet community by posing a threat to the stability and security of the DNS
• The ccTLD manager is failing to perform objective requirements such as having appropriate Internet connectivity, having properly configured and administered zone files and name servers that are capable of performing expected name resolution tasks, having operative points of contact, and meeting minimum local presence requirements such that the manager is accountable in the relevant jurisdiction. Such failures must be either egregious or persistent.

IANA's role is not a substitute for properly operating local accountability measures, and expressly IANA has no role adjudicating issues relating to equity, justice, honesty, or – except when it compromises the stability and security of the DNS – competency.

Initiating a revocation review

An application may be made to IANA to initiate a revocation review through opening a ticket with IANA Root Zone Management by email to root-mgmt@iana.org, or via IANA's other published contact methods.

These applications should comprehensively document the alleged behaviour that is considered substantial misbehavior that warrants revocation, supporting evidence that demonstrates it is within IANA's remit to assess the conduct, and an explanation why it is not an issue that is intended to be resolved in local jurisdiction by the applicable policy. The application shall also be accompanied by a credible delegation application that identifies a successor ccTLD manager, and demonstrates how the successor fills all the necessary criteria for ccTLD delegation.

It is typical for such applications to not be fully formed in the first instance, and developing such applications is typically an iterative process. IANA will advise the applicant of areas of deficiency in their application by asking them to provide further documentation relating to different areas of assessment. This process is more fully described in the documentation for delegating a ccTLD.

Enquiries will be made to the ccTLD manager to obtain relevant facts to inform decision-making with respect to the requested revocation action.

Providing notice and an opportunity to cure

Should a preliminary finding be made that there is conduct that is within the scope of the global policies that requires remediation by the ccTLD management, notice will be provided to the ccTLD manager of these issues through the manager’s nominated points of contact, and a reasonable timeline will be provided for those issues to be rectified.

The ccTLD manager may either cure the identified deficiencies, or satisfy IANA that is it in compliance with global policy through providing suitable evidence.

Identifying a successor manager

In concert with a revocation action, unless there are special mitigating circumstances an eligible successor must be identified in order to ensure continuity of operation of the domain.

The application must identify a successor manager and demonstrate it meets the standard criteria for delegation of a ccTLD. This includes demonstrating the competency of the manager to operate the domain, and the requisite support from significantly interested parties.

It is important to consider that the transfer plan is a critical component of such an assessment. In order to retain the ongoing operation of the ccTLD, the successor manager must have a credible approach that involves transferring or re-establishing the essential business records needed to ensure domain registrations are not lost. It is generally considered a requirement that as a consequence of a revocation that the domain will continue to operate with its existing registrations in place. IANA cannot direct or obligate the existing ccTLD manager to provide such essential business records and it is the obligation of the applicant to devise an appropriate strategy.

There may be mitigating factors that mean a transfer is not required. Such scenarios are typically when there are no registrations of value in the domain and it is considered acceptable to the significantly interested parties that the domain is reset (as if it were a new domain) as part of the transition. Otherwise, the applicant will need to consider how to reconstruct or otherwise obtain the essential business records as part of their plan. The best approach to this is to utilize any data escrow provisions that have been operating within the jurisdiction. The plan will be assessed by IANA for reasonableness and viability as part of its consideration of the requested revocation and delegation action.

Implementing a revocation action

Ultimately, should the ccTLD manager not cure the identified deficiencies, IANA will provide notice that it deems the domain eligible for revocation. IANA will provide a time window in which the ccTLD manager can exercise any review or appeal mechanisms.

In conjunction with this activity, IANA shall perform the ccTLD delegation process in accordance with normal procedures. IANA will not pursue a revocation action until a viable concurrent plan to establish a successor ccTLD can be established that meets normal policy requirements for delegating ccTLDs, unless such a plan can be demonstrated to be not necessary due to the unique facts of the situation.

As the revocation will be performed in concert with delegation to a new ccTLD manager, the precise timing of a revocation will be informed by the readiness of the successor manager. IANA will coordinate with the directly involved parties to preserve the ongoing stability of the domain as best as possible. As such situations may be inherently adversarial and relate to the inability of the ccTLD manager to execute its responsibilities, IANA may need to take specific actions on short notice to preserve ongoing stability of the domain name system.

Policy references

The Framework of Interpretation of current policies and guidelines pertaining to the delegation and redelegation of country-code Top Level Domain Names document informs the key parameters for revocations, specifically sections 4.3 through 4.6.