A couple of days ago, I wrote this article about people and businesses rorting the system by registering .org.au domain names when they were not entitled to do so. I urged auDA to take action by doing an audit (just like they sometimes do to us domain investors when they get an anonymous complaint).

Well, I got so many calls and emails and LinkedIn messages in support about this. Absolutely amazing.

Bouquet

Probably one of the best calls I got was from auDA’s Compliance Manager (Steph). Not only did she thank me for highlighting these examples, she promised that she and her team would be taking immediate action.

Importantly, she also acknowledged that work needed to be done on ensuring all auDA accredited registrars are aware of the rules – and that they put systems in place to start applying them.

So well done to you Steph – good to see that there is someone at auDA trying to do the right thing. I have compiled an interim list of .org.au non-compliant domains below for your attention. This will probably be added to as we go along.


Brickbat

Don’t mess with me!

Just when you thought things were on the improve, a voice from on high at auDA ordered that the “Domain Priority Tool” (that has been in existence for a long time) be turned off.

Why? Because I had done a screenshot of the two domains showing what extensions they were registered in.

For an organisation that keeps trying to tell everyone how transparent and accountable they are, this action certainly flies in the face of that.

The silly thing about this punitive move is that the info is still available – it just takes extra clicks.

So “voice on high”, how about doing the right thing by your stakeholders and turn it back on? It really is a fantastic tool, and is a great service.


Interim List of Non-Compliant .ORG.au Domains – Updated 17:50

  • Ace
  • Beautifulskin
  • Beauty
  • Build
  • Cars
  • Coins
  • Coronavirus
  • Covid
  • Covid19
  • Coworking
  • F**k
  • Financebroker
  • Gas
  • Healthyliving
  • Hello
  • Home
  • Insurance
  • Jesus
  • Land
  • Law
  • LifeInsurance
  • Loanmarket
  • Mate
  • Money
  • Mortgage
  • Mortgagebroker
  • Office
  • Officechairs
  • Officefurniture
  • Renewable
  • Sport
  • Telescope
  • Telescopes
  • Tradies
  • Wedding
  • Weddingcelebrant
  • WWW

If you feel so inclined, please check your own domains to see whether there is a matching (non-compliant) .org domain name, and list it in the comments. We’ll make sure it gets to the attention of auDA.

28 thoughts on “Well Done auDA (well sort of)!

    • November 13, 2020 at 7:32 am
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      Thanks Nobby. It’s certainly useful, but doesn’t have quite the same info as the Domain Priority Tool (DPT).

      The whole purpose of the DPT that auDA introduced was to ascertain which domain names had potential conflicts or rights when it came to the introduction of .au (direct reg).

      No doubt it will be re-introduced if and when direct reg is ready to go. My point was that it was somewhat “spiteful” to take it down now given that it had been up for nearly two years.

  • November 13, 2020 at 8:20 am
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    ace.org.au

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  • November 13, 2020 at 8:46 am
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    Maybe auDA should actually do their job as regulator. It’s not exactly difficult checking up on .org.au domains. And the same offenders seem to register multiple .org.au domains.

    I thought of a random word and checked it and guess what? looks like it doesn’t comply.

    hello.org.au

    Why are we doing your job auDA?

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    • November 13, 2020 at 11:38 am
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      Good points Nobby. And I like the tweak you did to your Namebid tool. 🙂

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  • November 13, 2020 at 8:51 am
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    covid.org.au ?

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  • November 13, 2020 at 8:54 am
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    covid19.org.au
    coronavirus.org.au

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  • November 13, 2020 at 8:59 am
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    How do you think it feels as a registrar that puts effort in to play by the rules and would be held to a different standard than other registrars?

    It’s also frustrating for consumers. “Oh, but why do you need all that shit – I was able to do it with GoDaddy, and they didn’t need anything from me”? This is something I hear all the time.

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    • November 13, 2020 at 12:17 pm
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      Thanks for the comment PBTR. It’s good to understand how the other half live! 😀

  • November 13, 2020 at 10:05 am
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    beautifulskin
    beauty

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  • November 13, 2020 at 10:19 am
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    GoDaddy, Tucows and WAR really piss me off. What does auda do about them . Zip.

    Add these to the list

    financebroker
    mortgage
    mortgagebroker
    loanmarket

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    • November 13, 2020 at 11:32 am
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      Those are some good names Aaron (in the wrong hands!)

  • November 13, 2020 at 12:46 pm
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    The amusing thing is that because of the new registrar agreement auDA have to get Godaddy to contact the registrant and then assess if they are eligible to hold the domain.

    Good luck with that auDA 🙂 Welcome to dealing with an international registrar.

    Of course you could exercise your powers to suspend the domain names but that would require you to actually regulate the namespace.

    auDA’s actions, or lack of, are contrary to the role they are supposed to play. Shame.

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  • November 13, 2020 at 12:53 pm
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    Here’s evidence and acknowledgement from auDA that it’s own registry totals are not accurate.

    Just how many domain names are illegitimate? .

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  • November 13, 2020 at 12:56 pm
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    My favourite so far :):):):):)

    jesus.org.au

  • November 13, 2020 at 1:09 pm
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    auDA uphold the

    law.org.au

      • November 13, 2020 at 1:29 pm
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        Yes just noticed you can delete that one. Friday afternoon frenzy. I’ll stop now.

  • November 13, 2020 at 1:27 pm
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    This one I am not sure about because when I visited the link it came up with a warning. The registrant could meet eligibility criteria. If anyone wants to verify then feel free to do so.

    auDA doesn’t give a F**K.org.au

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  • November 13, 2020 at 2:15 pm
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    I’ve had a few calls and emails today from people who didn’t want to post, and I’ve now updated the main list in the article.

    Thanks for all your contributions – particularly you Nobby! You’re on fire. 😉

  • November 13, 2020 at 3:05 pm
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    More than 500,000 id.au, .com.au, .net.au, .asn.au, .edu.au, .org.au names are not auDA policy compliant and that listing is growing.

    Most have been renewed for years while non compliant.

    auDA knows it and the auDA policy team knows it.

    auDA makes money, Ausregistry made money, Afilias make money and the auDA Registrars make money every time they are registered, a change of Registrant is done or when the names are renewed! It is $millions per year in income for them.

    How exactly is auDA able to claim in their advertising that all .au domain names are “VERIFIED” for Registrations and renewals?

    They now have spent over $2 million on this advertising campaign for .com.au which is great to see but questionable for it’s advertising accuracy. ACCC https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/advertising-promotions/false-or-misleading-claims “Creating a false or misleading impression”

    Are auDA providing false and misleading advertising to try and give a warm feeling of consumer protection, etc about this claimed “Verification process”? YES.

    auDA’s current promotion website
    GetYour.com.au

    “Verification required

    To be eligible for a com.au domain, businesses need an ABN or similar registration issued by the government. (1) Registrars validate business details upon application and auDA has a compliance team to ensure that domain names are issued to genuine local businesses.”

    Did auDA, Registry and the Registrars VERIFY these 1000+ foreign crimimal .com.au websites initially or when many of them got renewed? If they verified them how did they get registered and renewed and do the damage they did to Australian Consumers including credit card fraud etc?

    In the last 4 years since this 2016 auDA purge how many more have been registered, renewed and have caused damage to Consumers, risked Australian Critical Infrastructure etc?

    https://www.itnews.com.au/news/auda-orders-1025-bogus-au-domains-be-deleted-439035
    https://www.afr.com/technology/more-than-1000-australian-websites-taken-down-following-chinaled-criminal-plot-20161007-grxa2o
    https://www.smartcompany.com.au/startupsmart/advice/business-planning/over-1000-unauthorised-au-domains-deleted-as-regulatory-body-doubles-down/
    https://www.channelnews.com.au/auda-shutters-1000-web-sites/
    https://www2.computerworld.com.au/article/608187/auda-asks-registrar-delete-1025-au-domain-names/

    “reseller allowed registrants from China, Eastern Europe, North America and Asian countries to use fake Australian business details for their domain names, setting up sites selling goods.” auDA

    “In our investigations, we have identified sources from Eastern Europe, North America as well as the Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Asian regions that are behind these UBU [Unauthorised Business Use] domain name registrations.” auDA

    UBU’s – https://domainer.com.au/beware-of-unauthorised-business-use-ubu/
    https://domainer.com.au/ubus-are-cash-cows/
    https://domainer.com.au/auda-ubus-cause-reputational-damage/
    https://domainer.com.au/ubu-scammers-join-forces-with-the-ato/

    With no auDA planned direct .au domain name “Verification” but an easily faked “Australian Presence requirement” the flood gates will open to scammers, fraud, criminals, foreign powers, consumer rip off’s and even more serious Australian Critical Infrastructure risk.

    Any fool still pushing for the current auDA proposed direct registration domain name and proposed rules is an idiot that will create a very big mess. REAL Consumers will suffer. This has been proven by the examples above already with IBU’s and Foreign criminals easily getting through the auDA redtape and auDA, Registrar “Verification” processes .

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  • November 13, 2020 at 3:28 pm
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    renewable.org.au
    mate.org.au

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    • November 13, 2020 at 7:47 pm
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      I’m not sure if they will be renewable mate! 😀

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  • November 20, 2020 at 7:17 am
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    Interestingly, we did have a .org.au snatched from us shortly after registration.

    Registered the name 1.5 weeks prior to our “not-for-profit” business registration being approved (on our default biz settings)

    Lesson learnt (hard)…👉

    If you’re going for a .org.au – get it legit.
    Register your org first, and than the domain.

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