Andrew Wright
Top Contributor
Hi everyone,
auDA is again asking for public feedback on big changes to .com.au and .net.au rules (closing 15 January 2027).
auDA is already backing down because people pushed back:
Why deleting Rule 2.4.4(2)(f) hurts Australian businesses and the .au namespace:
auDA is only supposed to make changes that benefit the Australian community. Deleting this rule hurts small businesses and shrinks .au, while big corporate monopolies stay untouched. This policy update seems deliberately targeted at domain investors.
It begs the question: Is auDA just anti-domain investor, and if so, why? Domain investing has been a normal part of .au since 2008 with zero evidence of harm, and every .com.au owner is already checked for a real Australian ABN.
Have your say before 15 January 2027:
Tell the Board to keep Rule 2.4.4(2)(f) as it is and stick to the helpful updates (like flexible renewals and better expiry reminders).
Read the plan and submit here:
https://www.auda.org.au/consultatio...mplementation-plan-au-licensing-rules-review/
(Tip: Submissions are published publicly by default. Ask them to hide your name or email if you want privacy.)
auDA is again asking for public feedback on big changes to .com.au and .net.au rules (closing 15 January 2027).
auDA is already backing down because people pushed back:
- They added grandfathering so registrants can keep existing domains.
- They loosened the matching rules to allow synonyms, abbreviations, and alternative spellings.
Why deleting Rule 2.4.4(2)(f) hurts Australian businesses and the .au namespace:
- Extra cost and red tape: Small businesses won't be able to quickly register descriptive domains (homeloans.com.au, usedcars.com.au) without paying ASIC for a business name or filing a trade mark first.
- Frozen resales: Grandfathering only lasts until the next review (~5 years), and any buyer still has to follow the strict new rules.
- Fewer .au domains overall: Unsellable domains won't be renewed by domain investors, and startups will likely seek out alternative domain extensions instead—shrinking .au registrations and cutting registrar/auDA revenue.
- Dodgy AI tools: auDA wants AI tools in late 2027 to guess if a domain is a "synonym" of a business name, risking false blocks at checkout.
auDA is only supposed to make changes that benefit the Australian community. Deleting this rule hurts small businesses and shrinks .au, while big corporate monopolies stay untouched. This policy update seems deliberately targeted at domain investors.
It begs the question: Is auDA just anti-domain investor, and if so, why? Domain investing has been a normal part of .au since 2008 with zero evidence of harm, and every .com.au owner is already checked for a real Australian ABN.
Have your say before 15 January 2027:
Tell the Board to keep Rule 2.4.4(2)(f) as it is and stick to the helpful updates (like flexible renewals and better expiry reminders).
Read the plan and submit here:
https://www.auda.org.au/consultatio...mplementation-plan-au-licensing-rules-review/
(Tip: Submissions are published publicly by default. Ask them to hide your name or email if you want privacy.)
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