.adult

Overview

• .adult is a generic top-level domain (gTLD) proposed and delegated under ICANN's New gTLD Program.
• Intended meaning/use: a dedicated namespace for adult entertainment and sexually oriented content.
• Operator: ICM Registry (the operator behind .xxx and applicant for .porn and .sex).

History

• Delegation: .adult was delegated to the DNS root zone on 06 December 2014 (implemented date reported as 06 Dec 2014).
• Operator and applications: ICM Registry applied for .adult alongside related adult-oriented strings such as .porn and .sex; ICM Registry already operates .xxx.
• Launch: General availability for .adult began on June 4, 2015. Reports indicate over 4,000 registrations across .adult and .porn within the first hour of availability.

Usage and Audience

• Primary audience: businesses and sites in the adult entertainment industry or content providers choosing an explicit-label TLD.
• Migration/grandfathering: ICM Registry indicated registered domain names under .xxx would be grandfathered under .adult—matching names were to be automatically registered to the existing registrants, with a minimal charge if registrants chose to activate those reserved .adult domains.

Registration Rules

• Positioning: marketed for the adult entertainment community as part of industry-focused new gTLDs.
• Grandfathering/registration practice noted by operator:
  • Existing .xxx registrants were to receive matching .adult names automatically registered to them.
  • A minimal fee was described if a registrant decided to activate and use the reserved .adult domain.
• No other specific eligibility, character set, or registration-period rules are detailed in the provided source material.

SEO and Brand Impact

• Perception and labeling: the Independent Objector noted that a clearly labeled adult TLD like .adult could make it easier for users, parents, and filtering systems to identify and block adult content.
• Controversy around trust and spread of content: critics (for example, Morality In Media) argued that adding adult-focused TLDs could increase the presence of pornographic material; proponents and the Independent Objector countered that objections were largely cultural/moral and that the TLD could aid in content segregation and regulation.
• Regulatory attention: the European Commission flagged .adult among strings that might raise compatibility issues with EU legislation and policy positions during the application process.

Notable Cases or Examples

• Opposition campaign: Christian group Morality In Media ran a campaign opposing ICM's applications for .adult, .sex, and .porn, urging governments and ICANN to block their delegation.
• European Commission communiqué: the Commission identified .adult as among several gTLD applications potentially raising compatibility concerns with EU law or policy.
• Independent Objector review: the Independent Objector assessed objections to .adult and concluded that, at least initially, objections were not supported by international law and that a labeled adult TLD might reduce inadvertent exposure by making adult content easier to identify and filter.
• Early adoption: more than 4,000 registrations across .adult and .porn reported within the first hour of general availability (June 4, 2015).

% IANA WHOIS server
% for more information on IANA, visit http://www.iana.org
% This query returned 1 object

domain:       ADULT

organisation: ICM Registry AD LLC
address:      100 S. Mill Ave, Suite 1600
address:      Tempe AZ 85281
address:      United States of America (the)

contact:      administrative
name:         IANA Contact
organisation: GoDaddy Registry
address:      100 S. Mill Ave, Suite 1600
address:      Tempe AZ 85281
address:      United States of America (the)
phone:        +1 480-505-8800
fax-no:       +1 480-624-2546
e-mail:       iana@registry.godaddy

contact:      technical
name:         IANA Contact
organisation: GoDaddy Registry
address:      100 S. Mill Ave, Suite 1600
address:      Tempe AZ 85281
address:      United States of America (the)
phone:        +1 480-505-8800
fax-no:       +1 480-624-2546
e-mail:       iana@registry.godaddy

nserver:      A.NIC.ADULT 2001:dcd:1:0:0:0:0:10 37.209.192.10
nserver:      B.NIC.ADULT 2001:dcd:2:0:0:0:0:10 37.209.194.10
nserver:      C.NIC.ADULT 2001:dcd:3:0:0:0:0:10 37.209.196.10
nserver:      X.NIC.ADULT 156.154.172.82 2610:a1:1074:0:0:0:1:82
nserver:      Y.NIC.ADULT 156.154.173.82 2610:a1:1075:0:0:0:1:82
nserver:      Z.NIC.ADULT 156.154.174.82 2610:a1:1076:0:0:0:1:82
ds-rdata:     39064 8 2 8d2ccad69f8eba3c73214b4877386921586ca56f105b44fc91ceef1b4ab59b80

whois:        whois.nic.adult

status:       ACTIVE
remarks:      Registration information: http://nic.adult

created:      2014-11-26
changed:      2024-04-16
source:       IANA