China imposes restrictions on domain registrations

As of December 14, restrictions on domain name registration will come into effect in China. Individuals cannot register domain names, and the rights to personal websites are also subject to review.

Registering a website in the .cn domain zone requires permission from the China Internet Information Center (CNNIC). This permission can be obtained by presenting a commercial license.

The country's authorities have begun reviewing the database of website owners in the .cn domain zone to identify potentially fraudulent or dangerous sites. These sites may contain prohibited content, such as pornography or information deemed unacceptable by the country's authorities. Consequently, internet resource owners may lose their domain names.

This isn't the first time such a restriction has been imposed on the country's residents. Chinese authorities have twice attempted to restrict domain registrations for private individuals, but both attempts were unsuccessful.

Experts note that this internet regulation could spark protests among internet users. Furthermore, it will trigger a natural outflow of Chinese users to other domain zones.