China reopens .cn to individuals, but registrars may be slow to follow

Individuals can now register .cn domains, but domain registrars may still be cautious about offering the domains.

By Andrew Allemann on 29th May 2012

After clamping down on .cn domain registrations a few years ago, China is beginning to open up its country code top level domain again.

Yesterday China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), the registry for .cn domain names, announced that registration would again be available to individuals instead of just businesses.

CNNIC announced restrictions on .cn domain registrations in December 2009. This included only allowing businesses to register domains. It then abruptly announced that non-Chinese domain registrars would no longer be allowed to register .cn domain names. It later considered reversing course, but required registrars to collect personal information about each registrant including a color headshot photo identification, business identification (including a Chinese business registration number), and physical signed registration forms from the registrant.

Go Daddy, the world’s largest domain name registrar, decided not to reinstate .cn registration capabilities in light of these requirements. It said its reasons were less financial than concerns about handing over this personal information.

Mostly as a result of a crackdown on .cn registrants, .cn registrations fell from a peak of 14 million to just over 3 million.

Now that CNNIC has reopened registrations for individuals, will Go Daddy start offering .cn registrations again? I reached out to Go Daddy earlier today for comment.

Rich Merdinger, Vice President of Product Development – Domains, released the following statement:

We are monitoring recent developments with CNNIC involving domain name registrations. We will also be listening to our customers about their demand for .CN domain names.

My guess is registrars remain cautious about offering .cn.

Source: DomainNameWire.com

There is another downside for the future development of the TLD .cn: LOST TRUST!

Why customers should register a domain with .cn, since now they know about the uncertain policy? There would be always the risk the rights of the domain owner would be cut.

Wouldn't be other solutions (like .com, .net or even .tel) more secure for a serious internet business?

TelTalk wrote:There is another downside for the future development of the TLD .cn: LOST TRUST!

Why customers should register a domain with .cn, since now they know about the uncertain policy? There would be always the risk the rights of the domain owner would be cut.

Wouldn't be other solutions (like .com, .net or even .tel) more secure for a serious internet business?

Likely the only reason a Chinese company will own a .cn is to appear to be doing 'good' aka keeping favor of the local and national communist regime, while owning a .com for international 'sales' and as 99% of Chinese goods are exported the .cn really just becomes a bland Chinese place holder so as not to upset the ruling class.

Any other company will get one to try to do business in china but again the bulk of anything will be done on a .com hosted in another country and behind a vpn and other software to get around the china national web sensors.

As for individuals you'll find ladder climbers wanting to register their own name, to appear 'good' in the eyes of the ruling regime, very few are stupid enough to put anything on a .cn, of course the world as a whole is populated with stupid so a % will actually use a .cn until they get shut down, locked up and shot.