One of the responsibilities of the ICANN is to ensure that domain registration companies meet the established standards and regulations, the goal being to guarantee the security and reliability of the system. If a registration company does not achieve the minimum requirements, they may lose their accreditation. Although this measure is not often adopted, it is needed for the domain name system to function properly.

Main reasons for losing accreditation:

1.      Non-compliance with the accreditation agreement for registration companies (RAA): when domain data protecting the privacy of holders are not maintained correctly.

2.      Fraudulent practices: activities such as the falsification of information or the sale of inexistent services.

3.      Non-compliance with payments: registration companies must be up to date with the payment of taxes and annual ICANN payments.

4.      Lack of collaboration in audits: registration companies are obliged to collaborate when the ICANN conducts audits and checks operations to guarantee compliance with regulations.

5.      Lack of client support and service: registration companies must guarantee suitable customer service and offer technical support for domain holders.

6.      Commitment to security: registration companies must work for the security of the domains they manage.

How does this affect domain holders?

When the ICANN withdraws accreditation from a registration company, the domains they manage are transferred to another operator. This process may mean changes in technical management or in access to the control panel. However, these situations are not very common and domain holders generally receive clear instructions to avoid any sort of disruption.

At the .barcelona domain, we work to ensure that any incident of this type is managed promptly and efficiently, keeping any disruptions for users to a minimum.