Evaluating the Health of the gTLD

The generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD) marketplace has seen significant growth and evolution since ICANN’s expansion of available TLDs in 2012. To assess the health and effectiveness of this marketplace, ICANN has proposed a set of performance metrics aimed at measuring three key aspects: robust competition, marketplace stability, and trust.
While these metrics provide valuable data, the economic evaluation highlights several challenges in their interpretation:

• Metrics may be influenced by factors outside ICANN’s control, such as global internet adoption rates and regional economic conditions.
• Some metrics can provide conflicting signals, requiring careful analysis to draw accurate conclusions about marketplace health.
• The relative newness of many gTLDs means that historical data for comparison is limited, making trend analysis challenging.

As the web becomes increasingly saturated with content, the importance of “clean” domain extensions cannot be overstated. Extensions with low rates of abuse and spam contribute to a more trustworthy and user-friendly internet ecosystem.

One interesting example is our .CAM extension, which has evolved beyond its original intended use. Initially associated with “camera” or “computer-aided manufacturing,” .CAM has demonstrated versatility in its application, by catering to other niches usage, and being used as an acronym for various activities like “capital asset management”, “complementary & alternative medicine”, “communications, advertising, marketing” and more.
The success of extensions like .CAM in maintaining a clean reputation while finding innovative use cases demonstrates the potential for gTLDs to contribute positively to the internet ecosystem. However, it’s important to note that the performance and reputation of any gTLD can change over time and requires ongoing effort to maintain.

One example of how well .CAM is able to maintain it’s cleanliness is the Netbeacon Report from May 2024 (you can read it here) in which .CAM is listed in the top of lowest observed rates of abuse.
These metrics are the result of proper implementation of anti-abuse strategies and proactive measures like:

• Stricter registration policies and vetting processes
• Enhanced monitoring and rapid response to abuse reports
• Constant communication with the registrar channel to maintain high standards of cleanliness

We hope to be able to maintain the same high standards over the years, and we would love to see less and less abuse among all new gTLD space out there.