.navy

Overview

• .navy is a generic top-level domain (gTLD) applied for under ICANN's New gTLD Program.
• The string was proposed to provide an identifiable namespace for naval communities worldwide — including veterans, active duty personnel, family members, and supportive organizations.
• Applicant / registry operator names associated with the string include Rightside and Demand Media (United TLD Holdco Ltd.).

History

• The .navy application was submitted as part of ICANN's New gTLD Program. The applicant entity is United TLD Holdco Ltd. (Rightside / Demand Media).
• A Registry Agreement signed by ICANN was issued to Rightside on 6 March 2014.
• .navy was delegated to the DNS Root Zone on 4 June 2014, completing the technical delegation milestone.
• The TLD is listed as Delegated and categorized as a generic gTLD with a government theme.
• The applicant provided a Public Interest Commitment (PIC) as part of its application process.

Usage and Audience

• Intended audience (per the applicant):
  • Naval veterans
  • Active duty naval personnel
  • Family members of those who served in navies
  • Supportive organizations and civilians with naval affinity
• The applicant described the TLD as a global namespace to connect people and organizations associated with naval service and heritage.

Registration Rules

• The applicant stated it would be inclusive in registration policies and "will not limit registrant eligibility for second-level registrations," meaning broad availability was intended.
• The operator reserved the right to withhold or reserve specific second-level strings at launch.
• The registry committed to enforce policies against illegal activity and to provide takedown or other remedies as appropriate.
• The registry pledged to adhere to all ICANN-required registration policies and the Registry Agreement terms.

SEO and Brand Impact

• Governments raised concerns that the .navy name is confusingly similar to official government agencies, which could affect user trust and perception when domains use this TLD.
• Those concerns touch on brand clarity and potential reputational or security implications for official naval organizations if the string is used by unaffiliated entities.

Notable Cases or Examples

• The .navy application received GAC Early Warnings from three governments: the United States, Australia, and India. The warnings cited confusion with official government agencies and potential negative impacts on armed forces or national security, and recommended the applicant consider withdrawing the application.
• Similar governmental early warnings were issued for related military-focused strings such as .airforce and .army.

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

domain:       NAVY

organisation: Dog Beach, LLC
address:      c/o Identity Digital Limited
address:      10500 NE 8th Street, Suite 750
address:      Bellevue WA 98004
address:      United States of America (the)

contact:      administrative
name:         Vice President, Engineering
organisation: Identity Digital Limited
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:       tldadmin@identity.digital

contact:      technical
name:         Senior Director, DNS Infrastructure Group
organisation: Identity Digital Limited
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:      V0N0.NIC.NAVY 2a01:8840:1e:0:0:0:0:34 65.22.28.34
nserver:      V0N1.NIC.NAVY 2a01:8840:1f:0:0:0:0:34 65.22.29.34
nserver:      V0N2.NIC.NAVY 2a01:8840:20:0:0:0:0:34 65.22.30.34
nserver:      V0N3.NIC.NAVY 161.232.14.34 2a01:8840:f8:0:0:0:0:34
nserver:      V2N0.NIC.NAVY 2a01:8840:21:0:0:0:0:34 65.22.31.34
nserver:      V2N1.NIC.NAVY 161.232.15.34 2a01:8840:f9:0:0:0:0:34
ds-rdata:     24535 8 2 6f05f1cc418bdc0c32058586cd7de8cf28ec70aa9c978e2613389226053c53bf

whois:        whois.nic.navy

status:       ACTIVE
remarks:      Registration information: https://www.identity.digital/

created:      2014-05-29
changed:      2023-09-12
source:       IANA