GoDaddy has filed an appeal against the Delhi High Court's December 2025 order that ended default privacy protections for domain owners, according to medianama.com. The appeal challenges key directives requiring registrars to stop offering privacy-by-default masking, implement electronic KYC for all domain registrations, and disclose registrant details within 72 hours upon request. The larger bench will hear the appeals on July 16.
The December 24, 2025 judgment in Dabur India v. Ashok Kumar issued 14 directions to domain registrars, with three central to GoDaddy's appeal. These include mandatory e-KYC verification with periodic re-verification, making privacy masking a paid add-on rather than default, and rapid disclosure of registrant data to courts or law enforcement. GoDaddy argues that these rules expose legitimate website owners to stalking and harassment and impose policing responsibilities on registrars worldwide. Namecheap and Hosting Concepts have filed separate challenges.
The order impacts the domain registration market by removing privacy-by-default protections, a service GoDaddy currently markets as "free privacy protection forever." The ruling aligns with increasing regulatory scrutiny on fraudulent websites but raises concerns about user privacy and security. The case highlights tensions between protecting intellectual property rights and safeguarding legitimate registrants’ personal information. The Delhi High Court's decision is among the first major judicial interventions affecting global domain privacy norms.
The appeals will be heard by a larger bench of the Delhi High Court on July 16, 2026, as confirmed by medianama.com. This hearing will determine whether the December 2025 order’s directives on domain privacy and registrant data disclosure will stand or be modified.