GoDaddy challenges India's anti-fake website rules, warns of global impact on domain privacy

GoDaddy has challenged a Delhi High Court order introducing stricter measures to curb fake websites impersonating well-known brands, arguing that the directives could weaken privacy protections for legitimate website owners and have implications beyond India, as per a Reuters report.The legal challenge follows a series of trademark disputes filed by Indian and global companies against fraudulent websites allegedly misusing their brand identities. In December, the Delhi High Court ordered the blocking of more than 1,100 such websites and introduced a broader set of directions aimed at preventing future domain abuse.Among the measures, the court directed domain registrars to discontinue offering privacy protection as a default feature, disclose domain registrant details within 72 hours to parties with a "legitimate interest," and restrict the registration of domain names that closely resemble protected trademarks.GoDaddy has appealed the order before a larger bench of the Delhi High Court, contending that the directives extend well beyond tackling fraudulent websites and could adversely affect genuine businesses and website owners.Also read: 'Time has come' for separate AI law, says MeitY Secretary S KrishnanThe company argued that removing privacy-by-default protections would expose registrants' personal information—including names, addresses, phone numbers and email IDs—to potential misuse, increasing risks such as harassment, stalking and phishing.The registrar also questioned the practicality of determining who qualifies as having a "legitimate interest" when requesting domain ownership information, saying such assessments fall outside the role of domain service providers.GoDaddy further maintained that because domain registration operates on a global framework, implementing India-specific restrictions on domain names could create operational and legal challenges across international markets. The company warned that some of the requirements could become commercially difficult for registrars to implement.The dispute comes as India intensifies efforts to tackle cyber fraud and online impersonation. Government data has highlighted a sharp rise in cybercrime complaints in recent years, prompting authorities to seek stronger safeguards against fraudulent websites that mimic trusted brands.The original litigation was initiated by more than 20 companies, including major global brands, which alleged that fraudulent websites were being used to deceive consumers through fake shopping portals, franchise offers and other misleading online activities.The Delhi High Court is scheduled to hear the appeals filed by GoDaddy and other domain registrars on July 16.