CIRA confirms policy on .CA domain names ahead of 2019 Federal Election

OTTAWA, Sept. 10, 2019 /CNW/ - As the 2019 Federal Election approaches in Canada, the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) would like to reiterate its position and policies on the registration of .CA domain names.

A political or candidate website is an essential tool in any election campaign. In recent years, some campaigns have begun registering the domain names of their opponents as a political tactic. This has raised questions about how this tactic aligns with CIRA's domain registration policies.

As the guardian of the .CA domain name system on behalf of Canadians, CIRA would clarify the following:

• .CA domain names are available on a first come, first served basis. CIRA has no way to determine whether a particular person or party has the rights to a particular domain name.
• CIRA strongly recommends that all politicians and public officials register their personal .CA domain name to protect their brand online. Even if no website is intended, registering a personal .CA domain name ensures that this specific domain name cannot be used or exploited for any other purpose.
• If a bad faith registration is suspected, the CIRA Dispute Resolution Policy (CDRP) may be a mechanism in certain unique circumstances through which individuals can seek a resolution.
• CIRA has in the past, and will continue to, comply with any legal order related to a .CA domain name.

Should this issue arise in the course of the 2019 Federal Election, CIRA encourages all media outlets to reach out to us for any clarification, comment or technical background that may assist in informing the Canadian public.

Additional resources

• Learn more about the CIRA Dispute Resolution Policy (CDRP).
• Learn more about the .CA Canadian Presence Requirement.
• Learn more about Registrant Information Validation.

About the Canadian Internet Registration Authority
The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) manages the .CA top-level domain on behalf of all Canadians. CIRA also develops technologies and services?such as D-Zone DNS Firewall?that help support its goal of building a better online Canada. The CIRA team operates one of the fastest-growing country code top-level domains (ccTLD), a high-performance global DNS network, and one of the world's most advanced back-end registry solutions.

SOURCE Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA)