Data Quality

Ensuring accurate data about registrants (also referred to as domain name holders) has been a key priority and a legal obligation for EURid since the early days of the .eu top-level domain. Some of this information is made publicly available through our web-based WHOIS database. It serves a variety of purposes, such as assisting consumer protection and law-enforcement authorities, identifying sources of spam, safeguarding intellectual property rights, addressing cyberattacks and resolving technical network issues.

The provision of complete and accurate data is the responsibility of the registrars, who are the only ones able to make corrections to keep it up to date. At EURid, we work closely with both registrars and registrants to continuously enhance the quality of our data, using cutting-edge data verification procedures to ensure the .eu namespace remains trusted and secure. Our dedicated team monitors this process closely, and over the years we’ve gradually integrated advancements in AI data analysis and online identity verification. This commitment to innovation has culminated in the development of EURidity, our comprehensive in-house data quality system.

EURidity

EURidity is designed to prevent the registration of harmful domain names and automate the process of removing them swiftly. It combines our award-winning APEWS methodology with consistent automated daily checks and trusted third-party reports to effectively tackle potentially abusive domain names. EURidity minimises the risk of suspending legitimate domain names without sufficient proof, simplifies KYC verification and interfaces with our support platform for efficient communication.

APEWS

An innovative and award-winning methodology based on evaluating domain name registration patterns, the Abuse Prevention and Early Warning System (APEWS) is designed to predict whether a domain name can potentially be used in an abusive manner.

If the system identifies a registered domain name as being potentially linked to abuse, the domain name is immediately suspended and its status in the web-based WHOIS protocol shows as “Server Hold”. The domain name is registered; however, any service linked to it (such as a website, email, or any other service) will not function. The domain name holder is first required to review and verify their registration data via the secured my.eurid.eu platform, which EURid has created especially for its domain name holders. The domain name will become active only after a verification of the registration data has been successfully verified. If the registration data is not verified within a certain time frame, the domain name will be withdrawn and subsequently made available for registration on a first-come, first-served basis. 

To find out more about APEWS, please consult the following scientific publications (available in English only):

• Detection of Algorithmically Generated Domain Names used by Botnets: A Dual Arms Race
• Exploring the Ecosystem of Malicious Domain Registrations in the .eu TLD
• Assessing the Effectiveness of Domain Blacklisting Against Malicious DNS Registrations.
• An Operational Solution for DNS Registries to Prevent Malicious Domain Registrations

If you have any questions related to personal data processing at EURid, please take a closer look at our Privacy Policy

Automated Daily Checks and Third-Party Reports

Our automated daily checks involve carrying out a rule-based automated and subsequently manual evaluation of the registration data for domain names. The aim is to detect and keep pace with constantly evolving abuse strategies and reduce the number of false positives. Some suspicious registrations may be shared with law-enforcement agencies and our cybersecurity partners for an independent review.

Reports from trusted cybersecurity agencies and private individuals who provide sufficient evidence of misuse are also meticulously evaluated, potentially resulting in verification procedures or recommendations for appropriate follow-up actions.

Know-Your-Customer Verification

The purpose of our implementation of Know Your Customer (KYC) is to enable domain name holders from the European Union and the European Economic Area to verify their registration data using one of the methods at their disposal on EURid’s my.eurid.eu platform. This automated service expedites the verification process and lightens the administrative burden for domain name holders. Please note that not all of the methods described on our dedicated page are available throughout the European Union and the countries of the European Economic Area.