ICANNaccredited

ICANNaccredited refers to the status granted by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to operate as a domain name registrar, and less commonly a registry, under ICANN’s oversight. Accreditation enables an organization to offer and manage registrations for domains under ICANN-approved top-level domains, including many generic TLDs and certain country-code TLDs, in accordance with registry-specific policies.

Process and requirements: To become ICANNaccredited, an entity submits an application to ICANN, demonstrates financial viability and technical capability, and provides a detailed business plan. Applicants must sign and comply with the Registrar Accreditation Agreement (RAA), pass security and background checks, and meet criteria related to data handling, privacy, abuse prevention, and customer service. Ongoing obligations include annual accreditation fees, regular compliance reviews, and adherence to ICANN policies. Registrars may also be required to maintain data escrow, support DNSSEC, and implement WHOIS privacy measures.

Scope and impact: ICANN accreditation governs interaction with registries and the global domain name system. Accredited registrars can register, renew, and transfer domain names on behalf of customers, and must follow ICANN's policies and dispute resolution procedures. ICANN periodically audits accredited entities and can impose sanctions, including probation, suspension, or revocation of accreditation for non-compliance.

Notes: The term ICANNaccredited is sometimes written with a hyphen as ICANN-accredited; both refer to the same status. The accreditation landscape can evolve as ICANN updates its agreements and requirements.