WASHINGTON, D.C. - The United States government has begun directing Internet traffic from the long useed Defense.gov - the primary digital home of the Department of Defense for more than two decades - to a newly activated domain: WAR.gov. The change, now visible to the public, marks a major shift in federal branding and domain strategy, coinciding with the administration’s 2025 initiative to reintroduce the historical title “Department of War” into official … [Read more...]
Prime Loyalty Rebrands as URLs.com; Smartest Rebrand in Recent Memory
NEW YORK, NY – The domain industry saw a notable identity shift recently with the announcement that Prime Loyalty has officially rebranded to URLs.com, a move that, in my view, represents one of the clearest examples in years of a company adopting a brand that truly reflects what it does. The change was revealed by owner Jeff Garbutt, whom I’ve met at several domain conferences over the years. Garbutt announced the shift with the line: “We said loyalty must be … [Read more...]
Report: ID Verification Service for Auto Dealers Breach Exposed Millions of Records
SOUTHFIELD, MI - A newly surfaced dark-web listing claims that 700Credit, a provider of credit-reporting and identity-verification services for auto dealers, suffered a substantial data breach in late October 2025 - potentially exposing more than eight million customer records. What the Listing Claims According to the listing, the compromised database includes highly sensitive consumer information commonly handled by credit-reporting services - full names, Social … [Read more...]
Google’s New Confirmed Click Reporting Reveals Major Shift in AdSense Strategy
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - Google has introduced a brand new reporting feature in AdSense that finally uncovers when (or if) Google decides your ad layout is generating accidental clicks. The addition of “Confirmed Click” reporting, along with Google’s new Policy Ad Serving Status breakdowns, signals a deeper shift in how Google views monetization, layout strategy, and publisher behavior. This update does not just provide data. It confirms that Google’s internal philosophy has … [Read more...]
AI Search May Be Biggest Shift in Domain Industry Since Fall of Exact-Match Boom
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - For more than two decades, the domain-name market has largely moved in step with Google’s search systems. Investors based valuations on keyword demand, search volume, and the longstanding assumption that visibility in Google ultimately dictated what made a digital asset valuable. But the rapid rise of AI-driven “answer engines” - including ChatGPT Search, Perplexity, Claude (just saw first referral from it today), and others is creating a new reality. … [Read more...]
Domains, Not Hype: Insights from Andrew Rosener’s Conversation on Miss Understood
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - This week I took some time to watch an episode of Miss Understood hosted by Rachel Uchitel featuring Andrew Rosener, founder and CEO of MediaOptions, one of the best-known domain brokerages in the world. While I’ve been in this business for a long time, I thought the conversation offered a lot of good perspective — especially for people who may be newer to the industry or still wrapping their heads around digital asset value. The episode was titled … [Read more...]
From Domains to Handles: X.com Creates New Marketplace for Digital Identity
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - In a major policy shift that blurs the line between domain names and social-media identities, X (formerly Twitter) has officially launched a Handle Marketplace, allowing paid subscribers to purchase usernames from a pool of inactive accounts. The new feature, available to X Premium and Premium Plus subscribers, transforms social handles into a monetized form of digital real estate — something long familiar to domain investors. The marketplace opens … [Read more...]
Slipknot Files Lawsuit Over Two-Decade Battle for Slipknot.com Domain Name
RICHMOND, VA - Slipknot, one of heavy metal’s most commercially successful and enduring acts, has launched a new legal campaign to reclaim control of a domain name if it feels belongs to them more than twenty years after the web address was registered. The case, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia (Slipknot, Inc. v. slipknot.com), targets the long-time registrant of Slipknot.com, a domain the band says has misled fans and profited from its … [Read more...]
Breaking Down the Q3 2025 Domain Name Industry Brief: What the Latest Data Means
RESTON, VA - Every quarter, Verisign releases its Domain Name Industry Brief (DNIB) - a data-packed snapshot of the global domain landscape. The Q3 2025 report just dropped, revealing how domain registrations, renewals, and growth trends are shifting across .com, .net, country-code extensions, and hundreds of new generic TLDs. For professionals running digital projects from startups and online stores to marketers, web developers, and SEO specialists, these numbers are more … [Read more...]
“Ultra-Premium” Invite-Only Domain Marketplace Unveiled by GoDaddy
TEMPE, AZ - GoDaddy has launched a new, invite-only marketplace for high-value domain names at the incredible web address: DomainNames.com, positioning it as a curated showroom for one-word .com and .ai domains, rare two-letter names, and short numerics typically valued in the six-figures and up. The rollout follows industry teasers earlier this month and formal launch coverage this past week. This is a distinct, curated tier within GoDaddy’s aftermarket universe-separate … [Read more...]
Google Quietly Reduces Publisher Control with New “Authorized Buyers” System
In a subtle but consequential change, Google is rolling out a new “Authorized Buyers” control in AdSense that will replace the legacy “Ad Networks” blocking interface starting November 6, 2025. What may look like a simple UI refresh is, in fact, a strategic shift-one that further tightens Google’s grip on the ad supply chain while constraining publisher autonomy. What’s Changing (and What Isn’t) Under the existing model, publishers can block or allow entire ad networks … [Read more...]
Microsoft Warns Advertisers of New OAuth Consent Phishing Threat Targeting Users
REDMOND, WA - Microsoft has issued a new security alert to users of its Microsoft Advertising platform, warning of a wave of OAuth consent phishing attacks - a sophisticated form of credential theft designed to look completely legitimate. In its notice, Microsoft explained that malicious actors are sending out fake login or permission prompts that appear identical to the company’s official consent screens. Once a user clicks “Accept”, the attacker gains access to sensitive … [Read more...]
U.S. Court Ends Apple’s Monopolistic App Store Payment Practices
SAN FRANCISCO - In a landmark decision that could redefine how mobile apps handle payments, a U.S. federal court has ruled that Apple must allow developers to direct users to external websites for purchases - a major blow to the company’s long-standing control over App Store transactions. The ruling stems from ongoing litigation in the Epic Games v. Apple antitrust case and enforces an earlier injunction that Apple was found to have violated. Effective immediately, apps on … [Read more...]
October: National Cybersecurity Awareness Month: Is Your Business Truly Protected?
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - Every October, businesses across the country are reminded of a simple but critical truth: cybersecurity is no longer optional. As cybercriminals refine their tactics, small and medium-sized businesses have increasingly become their top targets. Phishing emails, ransomware, and malware aren’t just problems for Fortune 500 companies - they’re threats to any business with valuable data and daily digital operations. This year’s National Cybersecurity … [Read more...]
.HipHop Launches Equity Crowdfunding Campaign In “Testing the Waters” Phase
POMPANO BEACH, FL - Dot Hip Hop, LLC - the registry operator for the .hiphop top-level domain - has announced plans to raise capital through an equity crowdfunding campaign on Wefunder. The initiative, currently in the “Testing the Waters” phase allowed under U.S. securities law, is designed to measure investor interest before the company formally files its required Form C disclosure and begins accepting funds. .hiphop was first delegated in 2014 as part of ICANN’s new … [Read more...]