1---
 2template:
 3title: Save .ORG!
 4subtitle: PIR is getting sold to a private firm, and here's why it's bad
 5date: 2019-11-23
 6slug: save-org
 7---
 8
 9The .ORG top-level domain introduced in 1985, has been operated by the
10[Public Interest Registry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Interest_Registry) since
112003. The .ORG TLD is used primarily by communities, free and open source projects, 
12and other non-profit organizations -- although the use of the TLD isn't
13restricted to non-profits.
14
15The Internet Society or ISOC, the group that created the PIR, has
16decided to sell the registry over to a private equity firm -- Ethos
17Capital.
18
19## What's the problem?
20
21There are around 10 million .ORG TLDs registered, and a good portion of
22them are non-profits and non-governmental organizations. As the name
23suggests, they don't earn any profits and all their operations rely on
24a thin inflow of donations. A private firm having control of the .ORG
25domain gives them the power to make decisions that would be unfavourable
26to the .ORG community:
27
28- They control the registration/renewal fees of the TLD. They can
29hike the price if they wish to. As is stands, NGOs already earn very
30little -- a .ORG price hike would put them in a very icky situation.
31
32- They can introduce [Rights Protection
33Mechanisms](https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/rpm-drp-2017-10-04-en)
34or RPMs, which are essentially legal statements that can -- if not
35correctly developed -- jeopardize / censor completely legal non-profit
36activities.
37
38- Lastly, they can suspend domains at the whim of state actors. It isn't
39news that nation states go after NGOs, targetting them with allegations
40of illegal activity. The registry being a private firm only simplifies
41the process.
42
43Sure, these are just "what ifs" and speculations, but the risk is real.
44Such power can be abused and this would be severly detrimental to NGOs
45globally.
46
47## How can I help?
48
49We need to get the ISOC to **stop the sale**. Head over to
50https://savedotorg.org and sign their letter. An email is sent on your
51behalf to:
52
53* Andrew Sullivan, CEO, ISOC
54* Jon Nevett, CEO, PIR
55* Maarten Botterman, Board Chair, ICANN
56* Göran Marby, CEO, ICANN
57
58## Closing thoughts
59
60The Internet that we all love and care for is slowly being subsumed by
61megacorps and private firms, who's only motive is to make a profit. The
62Internet was meant to be free, and we'd better act now if we want that
63freedom. The future looks bleak -- I hope we aren't too late.