Prices for .com domains to jump again thanks to Trump04.10.26

When you pay more to renew your .com domain each year, a key policy change from the Trump administration is the reason. 
In October 2018, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) under President Trump approved "Amendment 35" to its agreement with Verisign.

Amendment 35 gave Verisign, the monopoly operator of .com domains, the ability to raise wholesale prices by up to 7% per year.

why?

Instead of crude, illegal bribery, the influence shaping these policy decisions operates through entirely legal, systemic avenues common in Washington, D.C.:

High-Powered Lobbying: Verisign spends millions of dollars annually lobbying Congress and executive branch agencies like the Department of Commerce. They employ well-connected former government officials, high-profile legal teams, and prominent lobbying firms to argue that price flexibility is necessary for cybersecurity.

Campaign Contributions: Major corporations routinely contribute heavily to the political campaigns of both political parties, securing access and a sympathetic ear among lawmakers who oversee telecommunications policy.

The "Revolving Door": Government officials who oversee telecommunications and tech 
policy frequently leave public service to take high-paying executive, legal, or consulting roles within major tech corporations and government contractors—and vice versa. While legal, this creates a deeply cozy relationship where regulators and regulated industries share the same worldview.

The reason ordinary citizens feel that the government is "in bed" with a monopoly does not typically stem from old-fashioned, criminal corruption or crooked government employees taking bribes. Instead, it is the result of institutional capture—a legal, highly sophisticated system where corporate lobbying, campaign financing, and decades-old administrative inertia combine to produce policies (like Amendment 35) that prioritize corporate revenue protection over consumer welfare.

https://mashable.com/article/trump-dot-com-domain-prices

Anonymous

Prices for .com domains to jump again thanks to Trump04.10.26

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