Since January 2025, significant changes have come into effect for operators of generic top-level domains (gTLDs). They mainly concern access to information concerning domain holders. The central point is the replacement of the classic protocol WHOIS by the more modern protocol RDAP (Registration Data Access Protocol).
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Why is the WHOIS protocol being replaced?
The WHOIS protocol has served as the basis for viewing domain registration data for decades. Users could thus obtain information on the owner of a domain through a simple query. However, this protocol is now obsolete, particularly with regard to data protection and the domain privacy. It is generally not encrypted and does not protect personal data in a standardized way. With the introduction of data protection laws such as GDPR, this has become a major inconvenience. In addition, WHOIS is based on a textual protocol which does not does not provide structured or easily machine-readable datawhich limits its effectiveness for modern applications.
The protocol says RDAP was developed by theInternet Engineering Task Force (IETF) to address these shortcomings. It offers a standardized and more secure solution for accessing registry data.
Changes since January 2025
L'Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the global umbrella organization for domain names, announced that all gTLD registries will be required to move to RDAP in January 2025. This change strengthens the data securitybecause RDAP provides better control over access to information. Sensitive data, such as personal contact address, can thus be better protected. The fact that the RDAP provides data to the JSON formatmachine-readable, which constitutes a major advantage in facilitating their integration into modern systems. Unlike the old WHOIS protocol, where data was often freely accessible to all, the RDAP protocol allows access rights to be precisely defined. This makes it possible to assign different authorizations to different user groups.
Consequences for domain owners
If you own a domain, you may be wondering what switching to RDAP means for you. Good news: you don't have no action to take as an owner or domain holder. The change primarily concerns registries and registrars (domain providers) when applying for domain registration; the domain registration or management process does not change. What's more, you and third parties who want information about your domain benefit from better data protection since the protocol change.
Advice
To facilitate the implementation of the RDAP protocol by developers, ICANN provides a RDAP implementation guide to download.
