VeriSign defiant after Site Finder shutdown
VeriSign defiant after Site Finder shutdown
VeriSign has aired its grievances over the enforced suspension by Net regulators of its controversial new Site Finder domain name redirect service.
The service, which was launched by VeriSign three weeks ago, caused a furore in the industry, as it redirected all mistyped and unregistered domain names to a VeriSign search page, which has led to complaints that the process interferes with spam filters and other Internet applications.
It has also sparked complaints that it has allowed VeriSign to monopolise unregistered .com and .net domain names to their own financial gain by redirecting all Internet traffic for these sites to pay-for-placement sights controlled by VeriSign.
Regulatory body ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) responded to the numerous complaints about the problems the Site Finder service was causing Internet users by writing to VeriSign to request a voluntary suspension of the service until more information could be gathered on the impact on the service. The refusal of Verisign to comply with ICANN's request prompted the regulator to order the closure of the service, after ICANN found that it did indeed breach the terms of its Code of Conduct.
In his letter to Russell Lewis, Executive Vice President, General Manager, VeriSign Naming and Directory Services, Paul Twomey, President and CEO of ICANN, wrote: "Our review of the .com and .net registry agreements between ICANN and VeriSign leads us to the conclusion that VeriSign's unilateral and unannounced changes to the operation of the .com and .net Top Level Domains are not consistent with material provisions of both agreements. These inconsistencies include violation of the Code of Conduct and equal access provisions, failure to comply with the obligation to act as a neutral registry service provider, failure to comply with the Registry Registrar Protocol, failure to comply with domain registration provisions, and provision of an unauthorised Registry Service.
"These inconsistencies with VeriSign's obligations under the .com and .net registry agreements are additional reasons why the changes in question must be suspended pending further evaluation and discussion between ICANN and VeriSign."
Lewis vigorously denies the allegations that Site Finder has adversely affected the Internet, and is critical of the manner in which the company has been forced to shut down the service.
"Without so much as a hearing, ICANN today formally asked us to shut down the Site Finder service. We will accede to the request while we explore all of our options. During the more than two weeks that Site Finder has been operational, there is no data to indicate that the core operation of the Domain Name System or stability of the Internet has been adversely affected. ICANN is using anecdotal and isolated issues to attempt to regulate non-registry services, but in the interests of further working with the technical community we will temporarily suspend Site Finder."
Lewis added that a permanent removal of the service would not only server to harm VeriSign's financial health, but also the infrastructure of the Internet.
"Without Site Finder, there will be a limited amount of opportunity to create investment dollars to invest back in infrastructure. The next several weeks will be a test as to whether innovation will occur within the Internet infrastructure. The fact is that while the Internet has been used for innovative purposes over the last decade, the core infrastructure has suffered from a lack of innovation."
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