.kids

Overview

• .kids is a proposed generic top-level domain (gTLD) submitted under ICANN's New gTLD Program.
• The string is intended for children-focused content and related communities, with at least one applicant proposing restrictions to ensure kid-centric material.

History

• Status: Proposed (listed in ICANN/new gTLD application materials).
• Applicants included:
  • DotKids Foundation Limited (community application)
  • Amazon
  • (Google is involved via a related string objection; Google applied for .kid)
• DotKids Foundation received financial assistance through ICANN's Applicant Support program: $138,000 of waived application fees.
• DotKids submitted a Public Interest Commitment (PIC) as part of its application and described community governance engagement.
• ICANNWiki lists application priority identifiers associated with applicants: 1330 (DotKids Foundation Limited), 1620 (Amazon), and 1822 (Google, for .kid).

Usage and Audience

• The DotKids community definition (as presented by the DotKids applicant) includes:
  • Kids (defined by the U.N. as persons under 18)
  • Parents and educators
  • Charities, NGOs, governmental and educational institutions
• The intended registrants per the DotKids application are kid-centric organizations and services.

Registration Rules

• DotKids Foundation proposed community-based restrictions: registrants must be kids-centric and adhere to a policy limiting content to beneficial, kid-focused material.
• The DotKids application was submitted as a Community Priority Application and included a PIC; further technical details (allowed characters, minimum/maximum registration periods, universal eligibility rules) are not provided in the source text.

Notable Cases or Examples

• Google filed a string similarity objection against the two applicants for .kids (Amazon and DotKids Foundation) and succeeded in bringing them into a single contention set.
• The European Commission flagged both .kids applications (and separately objected to .kid) among a group of applications it considered could raise compatibility issues with EU legislation; this occurred in the context of communications around ICANN's processes and GAC Early Warnings.
• DotKids Foundation is based in Hong Kong and received a number of endorsements according to its application materials.

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

domain:       KIDS

organisation: DotKids Foundation Limited
address:      12/F, Daily House
address:      35-37 Haiphong Road
address:      Tsim Sha Tsui Kowloon
address:      Hong Kong

contact:      administrative
name:         DotKids Administrative Contact
organisation: DotKids Foundation Ltd.
address:      12/F, Daily House
address:      35-37 Haiphong Road
address:      Tsim Sha Tsui Kowloon
address:      Hong Kong
phone:        +852 4448 0857
e-mail:       admin@iana.whois.asia

contact:      technical
name:         Senior Director, DNS Infrastructure Group
organisation: Identity Digital Limited
address:      c/o Identity Digital Inc.
address:      10500 NE 8th Street, Suite 750
address:      Bellevue WA 98004
address:      United States of America (the)
phone:        +1.425.298.2200
fax-no:       +1.425.671.0020
e-mail:       tldtech@identity.digital

nserver:      A0.NIC.KIDS 2a01:8840:a6:0:0:0:0:17 65.22.172.17
nserver:      A2.NIC.KIDS 2a01:8840:a9:0:0:0:0:17 65.22.175.17
nserver:      B0.NIC.KIDS 2a01:8840:a7:0:0:0:0:17 65.22.173.17
nserver:      C0.NIC.KIDS 2a01:8840:a8:0:0:0:0:17 65.22.174.17
ds-rdata:     11536 8 2 0ade57b3836da5e4ce75aed8a7cd64b58e7d68a813d10cd94453d11f60a3ecee

whois:        whois.nic.kids

status:       ACTIVE
remarks:      Registration information: https://www.dotkids.asia

created:      2022-03-05
changed:      2025-09-02
source:       IANA