GoDaddy warns India's fake website crackdown could damage the Internet and privacy
GoDaddy argues that its new court-ordered rules against fake websites could create privacy, security, and operational problems.
- Jul 3, 2026,
- Updated Jul 3, 2026 3:34 PM IST
India is cracking down on websites that impersonate established brands. However, GoDaddy, the US-based internet domain seller, argues that its new court-ordered rules against fake websites could create privacy, security, and operational problems for website owners, not just scammers.
According to Reuters, the court wants domain sellers to stop offering privacy protection by default. For this reason, GoDaddy has taken the concern to a larger bench of judges at the Delhi High Court, highlighting that this could lead to unwanted consequences.
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Why GoDaddy is challenging fake website crackdown?
According to the report, the majority of domain registrars offer privacy protection that keeps the website owner's personal details hidden. However, the court's order would require those details to be disclosed more easily.
Now, the domain seller believes that this could expose the name, address, phone number, and email address of legitimate website owners to the public, which could lead to stalking, harassment, spam, and other risks.
The company also says that domain names are used worldwide, not just in India; therefore, it may have to apply similar controls across its global operations.
GoDaddy said the court's requirement to disclose registration details within 72 hours is difficult to implement because it has no way of deciding who genuinely has a “legitimate interest” in accessing the information.
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Because of these challenges, GoDaddy says some domain name companies might decide to stop operating in India altogether rather than comply with the requirements.
In India, online fraud and impersonation have drastically increased, emerging as a major challenge for the country. The country has reportedly received over 2.4 million complaints of alleged cyber fraud amounting to $2.4 billion.
Since 2019, many Indian and international companies have filed lawsuits against websites that were impersonating their brands. In December, an Indian court ordered the blocking of more than 1,100 websites that were allegedly involved in such brand impersonation and fraudulent activities.
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India is cracking down on websites that impersonate established brands. However, GoDaddy, the US-based internet domain seller, argues that its new court-ordered rules against fake websites could create privacy, security, and operational problems for website owners, not just scammers.
According to Reuters, the court wants domain sellers to stop offering privacy protection by default. For this reason, GoDaddy has taken the concern to a larger bench of judges at the Delhi High Court, highlighting that this could lead to unwanted consequences.
Must read: OpenAI proposes giving Trump Administration a 5% stake
Why GoDaddy is challenging fake website crackdown?
According to the report, the majority of domain registrars offer privacy protection that keeps the website owner's personal details hidden. However, the court's order would require those details to be disclosed more easily.
Now, the domain seller believes that this could expose the name, address, phone number, and email address of legitimate website owners to the public, which could lead to stalking, harassment, spam, and other risks.
The company also says that domain names are used worldwide, not just in India; therefore, it may have to apply similar controls across its global operations.
GoDaddy said the court's requirement to disclose registration details within 72 hours is difficult to implement because it has no way of deciding who genuinely has a “legitimate interest” in accessing the information.
Must read: Microsoft launches a $2 billion AI Unit, employs 6,000 forward-deployment engineers
Because of these challenges, GoDaddy says some domain name companies might decide to stop operating in India altogether rather than comply with the requirements.
In India, online fraud and impersonation have drastically increased, emerging as a major challenge for the country. The country has reportedly received over 2.4 million complaints of alleged cyber fraud amounting to $2.4 billion.
Since 2019, many Indian and international companies have filed lawsuits against websites that were impersonating their brands. In December, an Indian court ordered the blocking of more than 1,100 websites that were allegedly involved in such brand impersonation and fraudulent activities.
For Unparalleled coverage of India's Businesses and Economy – Subscribe to Business Today Magazine