Accreditation, 280k Domains up for Grabs — EstDomains Loses

Registrar loses ICANN accreditation.

Domain registrar EstDomains, Inc has lost its ICANN accreditation.

The registrar had been the subject of many negative stories, counting allegations that it perpetuated malware and spyware sites as well as spam. EstDomains also resold Directi services counting its whois privacy service. (Directi is parent firm of domain parking service Skenzo). Directi pulled the plug on offering privacy protection to EstDomains, thus opening up the whois information for anyone to see. This may have included whois information for innocent domain registrants. Directi declined to cut off EstDomains completely for fear that innocent domain registrants would lose their domains, as stated by an article in The Washington Post.

The official reason for EstDomains losing its accreditation is the CEO’s recent conviction on cyber crime charges, notes The Washington Post.

A notice on the ICANN web site invites other registrars to apply to take over the 280,000 domain names registered at EstDomains. Although this represents many more domains than are typically handed over following a registrar is de-accredited, applicants ought to tread carefully. The Washington Post article estimates that as many as a third of them are for spammy terms such as various prescription drugs.