Small businesses may lose domains or pay to stay eligible under new rules
auDA proposes removing a rule that lets businesses register .com.au domains matching what they do, potentially affecting 2 to 2.7 million domains.
Australia's domain authority has accepted a recommendation to scrap the "close and substantial connection" rule, which currently allows domains based on a business's services or location, even if they do not match its legal name.
Under the proposed change, domains would need to match a legal name, registered business name, or Australian trademark. Some businesses could register an additional business name to stay eligible, at extra cost.
Some businesses may not be able to renew domains they have used for 20 years. auDA says the change aims to strengthen trust in .au domains and reduce misuse by domain investors.
The board has not decided how existing domains would be treated. Public consultation is coming before any changes are finalised.
- 20 years
- Years of domain use at risk
- auDA
- Domain authority
Why it mattersSmall businesses relying on established domain names face potential forced changes and new registration costs.
AustraliaAustralian small businesses using .com.au or .net.au domains tied to their services or location could lose those sites or pay extra to keep them.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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