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How ICANN’s 2025 Policy Updates Impact Businesses & Online Brand Protection


Introduction

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) plays a crucial role in managing the global domain name system, ensuring a secure and stable internet. In 2025, ICANN is introducing significant policy updates, reshaping how businesses must approach domain security, trademark protection, and online brand management.

These changes affect everything from new top-level domain (TLD) applications to domain ownership transparency, data privacy regulations, and trademark enforcement mechanisms. Companies must adapt to stricter compliance requirements while also seizing new opportunities to strengthen brand protection.

In this article, we break down the most important ICANN 2025 policy updates and explain what businesses must do now to secure their digital assets and prevent fraud.


Understanding ICANN’s Role in Online Brand Protection

ICANN oversees domain name system (DNS) governance, managing policies that regulate website ownership, domain transfers, dispute resolution, and intellectual property protections. The 2025 updates focus on enhancing security, increasing transparency, and ensuring compliance with evolving global privacy laws.

Some of the most impactful ICANN 2025 changes for businesses include:

  • New gTLD Application Round – Businesses can apply for branded or generic TLDs (.brand, .security, etc.).

  • WHOIS to RDAP Transition – Structured access to domain ownership records for law enforcement & IP enforcement.

  • Revised Registration Data Policy – Stricter rules for managing WHOIS privacy and ensuring registrant accuracy.

  • Tighter Compliance for Domain Transfers & Renewals – Making it harder for cybercriminals to exploit expired or transferred domains.

With cybersquatting, phishing scams, and fake websites surging, businesses need a proactive domain security strategy that aligns with ICANN’s latest policies.


Ways ICANN’s 2025 Policy Updates Impact Businesses

ICANN’s ongoing expansion of generic top-level domains (gTLDs) has opened new opportunities for businesses—but it also makes brand impersonation, phishing scams, and consumer deception easier than ever. With hundreds of domain extensions now available, scammers can register convincing fake sites that closely mimic legitimate businesses.

Bad actors frequently exploit gTLD expansion through tactics such as:

  • Typosquatting – Slight misspellings or alternative domain extensions (e.g., YourBrand.store instead of YourBrand.com) to mislead consumers.

  • Phishing Scams – Fake customer support or e-commerce sites using official-sounding gTLDs like .bank or .help to steal data.

  • SEO Manipulation – Fraudulent domains that outrank legitimate sites, diverting traffic and damaging brand trust.

ICANN’s stricter compliance policies make reclaiming fraudulently registered domains more complex, so brands that fail to monitor new domain registrations proactively risk financial loss and reputational harm.

Business Takeaway: Businesses must secure key domain extensions and proactively monitor new registrations to prevent scammers from exploiting their brand. Without a defensive domain strategy, companies risk losing consumer trust and facing costly legal battles to reclaim fraudulent domains.
 

WHOIS to RDAP Transition: What It Means for Online Fraud Prevention

ICANN is phasing out traditional WHOIS and replacing it with Registration Data Access Protocol (RDAP). This structured data system improves access to domain ownership records while balancing privacy regulations (like GDPR and CCPA).

What This Means for Businesses:

  • Faster, more structured domain lookups for investigating impersonation or trademark abuse cases.

  • More reliable enforcement actions against fraudulent websites, as RDAP offers better validation of domain ownership.

  • More transparency for brands, making it easier to track down and stop scammers using similar domain names.

Business Takeaway: Companies should work with ICANN-accredited registrars to ensure they have proper access to RDAP data for monitoring potential infringements.
 

New Compliance Rules: Stricter Domain Renewal & Transfer Policies

ICANN’s new domain transfer and renewal policies tighten security measures to prevent fraud, but they also introduce new risks for businesses that aren’t proactive in managing their domains.

  • Expired Domains Can Be Hijacked Faster – Cybercriminals watch for lapsed domains and register them immediately for fraud.

  • Stronger Transfer Validation Means More Paperwork – Businesses now must provide stricter verification when moving domains between registrars.

  • Domain Renewal Grace Periods Have Changed – Late renewals might not be reversible as easily as before.

Business Takeaway: Brands must track their domain portfolio carefully and ensure all critical domains are locked, renewed on time, and secured against unauthorized transfers.


What Businesses Need to Do Now to Stay Secure & Compliant

To protect their online presence and comply with ICANN’s 2025 policy changes, businesses should act now:

  • Audit Your Domain Portfolio – Ensure all critical domains are actively managed and locked against unauthorized transfers.

  • Consider Applying for a .Brand or Industry-Specific gTLD – This can enhance brand security and reduce phishing risks.

  • Monitor RDAP & WHOIS Data – Work with an ICANN-accredited registrar to track domain ownership changes.

  • Register Your Trademarks & Enroll in the Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH) – This helps prevent cybersquatting and gives early warning of infringing registrations.

  • Adopt a Defensive Domain Registration Strategy – Secure common misspellings and variations of your brand name to block scammers.


Conclusion

ICANN’s latest policy updates signal a major shift in how businesses must approach domain security and trademark protection. While these regulations introduce new tools to protect brands, they also impose stricter compliance requirements—meaning companies that fail to adapt risk losing control over their online identity.

By proactively securing domains, registering trademarks, and staying informed on ICANN policy changes, businesses can protect their brand from fraud, phishing scams, and cyber threats.