ccTLD Registries Push Back Against EU’s Disinformation Crackdown

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ccTLD Registries Push Back Against EU’s Disinformation Crackdown

By CircleID Reporter
May 19, 2025, 12:56 pm PDT Views: 18,258 Add Comment

As the European Union presses ahead with its European Democracy Shield (EUDS) to counter foreign disinformation, European country code top-level domain (ccTLD) registries are urging caution. In a formal comment published on May 19th, CENTR—the association representing Europe’s ccTLDs—warned that extending regulatory expectations to domain name infrastructure risks undermining legal safeguards and overstepping technical roles.

CENTR argues that Europe already possesses a comprehensive legal framework to manage harmful content online, notably through the Digital Services Act. Disinformation, while harmful, is not uniformly classified as illegal across the bloc. Therefore, any coercive action, such as domain suspensions, should remain the prerogative of competent public authorities—not registries, private actors, or third-party fact-checkers.

Domain registries, CENTR stresses, merely facilitate navigation on the internet; they do not host or disseminate content. Disabling a domain name is a blunt instrument—one with global ramifications that may inadvertently suppress lawful material. Such action, the group contends, should be reserved for severe cases, proportional in nature, and grounded in clear legal mandates.

The registries also reject duplicative cybersecurity rules, citing their existing obligations under the EU’s NIS 2 Directive and their robust self-regulation. They instead advocate for bolstering digital literacy and endorsing voluntary public—private partnerships that empower users and reinforce societal resilience.

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By CircleID Reporter — CircleID’s internal staff reporting on news tips and developing stories. Do you have information the professional Internet community should be aware of? Contact us.
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