The AFNIC warns against slamming

09/14/2006

Although these cases mainly seem to concern Internet extensions other than .fr, certain .fr domain names have probably been affected as well. Slamming is a term that refers to a variety of illicit practices. It is based on deception and is aimed at getting owners of domain names or brands to subscribe to unsolicited services related with their presence on the Internet.

The AFNIC has drawn up a summary feature file on this issue, which describes the different varieties of slamming identified and their common characteristics; it also gives some recommendations to protect you against these malpractices.

Our guide on slamming

About Afnic

Afnic is the acronym for Association Française pour le Nommage Internet en Coopération, the French Network Information Centre. The registry has been appointed by the French government to manage domain names under the .fr Top Level Domain. Afnic also manages the .re (Reunion Island), .pm (Saint-Pierre and Miquelon), .tf (French Southern and Antarctic Territories), .wf (Wallis and Futuna) and .yt (Mayotte) French Overseas TLDs.

In addition to managing French TLDs, Afnic’s role is part of a wider public interest mission, which is to contribute on a daily basis, thanks to the efforts of its teams and its members, to a secure and stable internet, open to innovation and in which the French internet community plays a leading role. As part of that mission, Afnic, a non-profit organization, has committed to devoting 11% of its Revenues from managing .fr Top Level Domain to actions of general interest, in particular by transferring €1.3 million each year to the Afnic Foundation for Digital Solidarity.
Afnic is also the back-end registry for the companies as well as local and regional authorities that have chosen to have their own TLD, such as .paris, .bzh, .alsace, .corsica, .mma, .ovh, .leclerc and .sncf.

Established in 1997 and based in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Afnic currently has nearly 90 employees.

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