The way your domain registration information is collected and managed is about to undergo major changes. 

Starting August 21, 2025, all domain registrars must follow ICANN’s new Registration Data Policy – a step forward in improving privacy and ensuring global legal compliance. 

As an ICANN-accredited registrar, we’re actively implementing these changes across our reseller hosting platform to ensure a smooth, compliant transition for all our partners.

Read on to understand what this policy represents, why it was created, and how it will affect your domain registration processes.

Why the Registration Data Policy was created

In the early days of the internet, domain ownership information was freely available to the public via the WHOIS system. Anyone could look up a domain and see the registrant’s name, email, phone number, and address. 

But that changed in 2018 with the introduction of the European Union’s GDPR, which made it illegal to publish personal data without consent.

ICANN responded with temporary privacy measures and has since developed a comprehensive, permanent policy to address evolving privacy laws and ensure global compliance (the Registration Data Policy).

What Is the ICANN Registration Data Policy?

The ICANN Registration Data Policy sets out how domain registrant information is collected, stored, and shared. 

It applies to all generic top-level domains (gTLDs) like .com, .info, and .net, and aims to:

• Minimize the amount of personal data collected;
• Limit public access to sensitive data;
• Maintain essential functionality for verifying ownership and resolving technical issues.

Key changes coming in 2025

Less info required

To better protect your privacy, ICANN is simplifying the registration process:

• Administrative and billing contact details will no longer be required;
• Technical contact information is now optional – and can be a generic, non-personal contact (like support@example.com)
  

Organization information: new responsibilities

If you include an Organization in your domain registration, that entity will be treated as the legal owner of the domain.

Registrants with organization info will receive an email asking them to:

• Remove the organization name (to be listed as an individual owner), or;
• Confirm it’s correct (and optionally choose whether it appears in WHOIS).

A global shift toward data privacy

While this policy was driven by GDPR, it’s no longer just about Europe. Countries worldwide are adopting stricter data privacy laws, and ICANN’s policy reflects the need for a unified, legally compliant approach.

It’s important to note: even though less data is collected and less is publicly displayed, domain registrants still need to provide accurate and up-to-date contact info.

If the registrant’s information changes, domain owners have seven days to update it and must respond to any questions from the registrar within 15 days to avoid issues such as suspension.

Our commitment to compliance

As an ICANN-accredited registrar, we’ve already started integrating the new Registration Data Policy into our reseller hosting platform. 

Our goal is to ensure all stores are fully aligned with the new standards well before the official enforcement date of August 21, 2025.

A quick note on TLD exceptions

Right now, the new policy applies to most generic top-level domains (gTLDs) — like .com and .net — but not all of them just yet.

• .BIZ and .ORG are currently excluded because their registries haven’t rolled out the necessary updates. We expect that to change once those registries catch up;
• There are also a few gTLDs we offer through third-party providers, and the policy doesn’t apply to those. These include:

• .asia
• .foundation
• .club
• .name
• .party
• .shop
• .top

We’ll monitor these developments closely and continue sharing updates and guidance so you can adapt with confidence.

***

These changes reflect a positive shift toward protecting registrants’ personal data and ensuring the internet remains safe, functional, and legally compliant. 

While the new policy means less data will be collected, it also brings new responsibilities to ensure that the data you do provide is accurate.

Stay informed, keep your registration details current, and you’ll be fully prepared for the transition.