US-based GoDaddy, the world's biggest internet domain seller, has challenged India's sweeping anti-fake website measures before the Delhi High Court. According to reports from Reuters, the company filed a 5,121-page appeal arguing that the December 2025 court ruling will affect legitimate businesses with names similar to big brands. The legal dispute was triggered by more than 20 companies seeking court intervention on fake websites damaging their brands, including Amazon, McDonald's, Microsoft, Xiaomi and Colgate-Palmolive. As per the latest reports, GoDaddy maintains that the proposed rules could have unintended consequences, exposing millions of genuine website owners to greater risks while placing domain registrars in the uncomfortable position of acting as investigators and arbiters rather than neutral service providers.
As online fraud continues to rise, the Press Information Bureau's (PIB) Fact Check unit has shared a comprehensive checklist to help users identify fake websites and avoid cyber scams. According to Mint, the PIB Fact Check unit posted on X platform with the message "Don't fall for online traps!" highlighting five simple checks that can help users distinguish genuine websites from fraudulent ones. The checklist includes verifying the website URL carefully by ensuring it begins with "https://" instead of just "http" and watching for misspelt domain names, as fraudsters often create fake websites using slight spelling variations of popular brands. Users are advised to look for the padlock icon displayed next to the website address, as a padlock generally indicates that the connection between the user and the website is encrypted. The PIB also warns against excessive pop-ups and clickbait offers, advising users to close websites immediately if they appear unusually spammy or repeatedly generate unwanted pop-ups.
The court ruling requires domain sellers to stop offering free privacy protection by default and release buyer details to anyone with legitimate interest within 72 hours. As reported by Reuters, GoDaddy argues this will result in public disclosure of name, address, telephone and email of legitimate website owners, exposing them to privacy and security risks. The company also contends it lacks the capability to assess who has legitimate interest or not, calling the directives 'commercially destabilising' and potentially forcing domain name companies to exit India. The Delhi High Court's directions stem from a very different concern - the explosive rise of cyber fraud in India, where fake websites have become one of the most effective tools in a scammer's arsenal. According to the latest reports, GoDaddy warns that making such details publicly available could expose users to harassment, phishing attempts, identity theft and even physical safety risks, particularly affecting journalists investigating sensitive issues, activists speaking against powerful interests, small business owners running websites from their homes and independent bloggers.
With annual revenues of $5 billion, GoDaddy manages 80 million domains and serves over 20 million users. According to Reuters, India was the company's biggest region in the emerging market space in 2024. The legal challenge comes as India's cyber fraud problem has intensified, with the government receiving 2.4 million complaints of alleged cyber fraud amounting to $2.4 billion last year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has warned that one person falls prey to cybercrime every 37 seconds in India. GoDaddy warns that the implications extend well beyond India, as domain names operate on a global system and registrars serve customers across multiple jurisdictions. The company argues that complying with country-specific rules that alter privacy settings or registration practices could create conflicts with privacy laws elsewhere, while forcing global registrars to redesign systems for a single market.
The legal battle has attracted broader industry opposition, with Namecheap, headquartered in Arizona and hosting concepts based in the Netherlands, also filing challenges against the Delhi High Court's order. According to Reuters, court records show that Namecheap has joined GoDaddy in contesting the court's direction, though specific details of their appeals could not be independently verified. The legal dispute follows government submissions expressing concerns about domain name abuse and lack of stringent verification. An unreported 59-page IT ministry document from 2023 revealed New Delhi's concerns about the domain name issue, with the home ministry telling the judge that registration details should be readily available for investigations, aligning with Modi's approach of criticising global technology giants for not doing enough to police content against national interests. Judges are scheduled to hear the appeals on July 16.
