1---
 2date: '2019-11-23'
 3subtitle: 'PIR is getting sold to a private firm, and here''s why it''s
 4  bad'
 5title: 'Save .ORG!'
 6url: 'save-org'
 7---
 8
 9The .ORG top-level domain introduced in 1985, has been operated by the
10[Public Interest
11Registry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Interest_Registry) since
122003. The .ORG TLD is used primarily by communities, free and open
13source projects, and other non-profit organizations---although the use
14of the TLD isn't restricted to non-profits.
15
16The Internet Society or ISOC, the group that created the PIR, has
17decided to sell the registry over to a private equity firm---Ethos
18Capital.
19
20What's the problem?
21-------------------
22
23There are around 10 million .ORG TLDs registered, and a good portion of
24them are non-profits and non-governmental organizations. As the name
25suggests, they don't earn any profits and all their operations rely on a
26thin inflow of donations. A private firm having control of the .ORG
27domain gives them the power to make decisions that would be unfavourable
28to the .ORG community:
29
30-   They control the registration/renewal fees of the TLD. They can hike
31    the price if they wish to. As is stands, NGOs already earn very
32    little---a .ORG price hike would put them in a very icky situation.
33
34-   They can introduce [Rights Protection
35    Mechanisms](https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/rpm-drp-2017-10-04-en)
36    or RPMs, which are essentially legal statements that can---if not
37    correctly developed---jeopardize / censor completely legal
38    non-profit activities.
39
40-   Lastly, they can suspend domains at the whim of state actors. It
41    isn't news that nation states go after NGOs, targetting them with
42    allegations of illegal activity. The registry being a private firm
43    only simplifies the process.
44
45Sure, these are just "what ifs" and speculations, but the risk is real.
46Such power can be abused and this would be severly detrimental to NGOs
47globally.
48
49How can I help?
50---------------
51
52We need to get the ISOC to **stop the sale**. Head over to
53https://savedotorg.org and sign their letter. An email is sent on your
54behalf to:
55
56-   Andrew Sullivan, CEO, ISOC
57-   Jon Nevett, CEO, PIR
58-   Maarten Botterman, Board Chair, ICANN
59-   Göran Marby, CEO, ICANN
60
61Closing thoughts
62----------------
63
64The Internet that we all love and care for is slowly being subsumed by
65megacorps and private firms, who's only motive is to make a profit. The
66Internet was meant to be free, and we'd better act now if we want that
67freedom. The future looks bleak---I hope we aren't too late.