New Delhi, 04 July (H.S.): GoDaddy, one of the world's largest domain registrars, has challenged the Delhi High Court's directives aimed at curbing fraudulent websites, arguing that the measures could adversely affect internet security, user privacy and legitimate online businesses.

According to media reports, the case stems from a December 2024 Delhi High Court order directing the blocking of more than 1,100 fraudulent websites following complaints filed by several companies, including Amazon, McDonald's, Microsoft, Xiaomi and Colgate-Palmolive. Along with the blocking order, the court also issued directions to tighten domain registration and identity verification requirements.

Under the court's directions, domain registrars would no longer be permitted to provide free privacy protection by default. They would also be required to disclose domain ownership information to applicants with a legitimate interest within 72 hours and prevent the registration of domain names that closely resemble well-known trademarks.

In its appeal, GoDaddy argued that the directives could expose website owners' personal information, including names, addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses, increasing the risk of harassment, stalking and cyberattacks. The company further contended that the absence of a clear definition of legitimate interest makes it difficult for registrars to determine who should be granted access to registration data.

GoDaddy also argued that the Domain Name System (DNS) operates on a global scale and that India's proposed requirements could have implications for internet operations worldwide. The company said that if the directives are enforced, some domain service providers may be compelled to reconsider or even scale back their operations in India.

The company further maintained that eliminating free privacy protection by default is inconsistent with India's data protection framework and international privacy standards, including the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which promotes the principle of privacy by default.

On the other hand, the Central Government has argued that the misuse of fraudulent websites and domain names has contributed to a sharp rise in cybercrime. The Ministry of Home Affairs told the court that easy access to domain registration information is essential for law enforcement agencies conducting cybercrime investigations. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has also recently described cybercrime as one of the country's most serious security challenges.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar