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
11Registry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Interest_Registry) since
122003.
13
14The .ORG TLD is used primarily by communities, free and open source
15projects, and other non-profit organizations -- although the use of the
16TLD isn't restricted to non-profits.
17
18The Internet Society or ISOC, the group that created the PIR, has
19decided to sell the registry over to a private equity firm -- Ethos
20Capital.
21
22## What's the problem?
23
24There are around 10 million .ORG TLDs registered, and a good portion of
25them are non-profits and non-governmental organizations. As the name
26suggests, they don't earn any profits and all their operations rely on
27a thin inflow of donations. A private firm having control of the .ORG
28domain gives them the power to make decisions that would be unfavourable
29to the .ORG community:
30
31- They control the registration/renewal fees of the TLD. They can
32hike the price if they wish to. As is stands, NGOs already earn very
33little -- a .ORG price hike would put them in a very icky situation.
34
35- They can introduce [Rights Protection
36Mechanisms](https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/rpm-drp-2017-10-04-en)
37or RPMs, which are essentially legal statements that can -- if not
38correctly developed -- jeopardize / censor completely legal non-profit
39activities.
40
41- Lastly, they can suspend domains at the whim of state actors. It isn't
42news that nation states go after NGOs, targetting them with allegations
43of illegal activity. The registry being a private firm only simplifies
44the process.
45
46Sure, these are just "what ifs" and speculations, but the risk is real.
47Such power can be abused and this would be severly detrimental to NGOs
48globally.
49
50## How can I help?
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
61## Closing thoughts
62
63The Internet that we all love and care for is slowly being subsumed by
64megacorps and private firms, who's only motive is to make a profit. The
65Internet was meant to be free, and we'd better act now if we want that
66freedom. The future looks bleak -- I hope we aren't too late.