Iceland’s .is domain reform would give public authorities greater control over the country’s internet registry, introduce stricter checks on applicants and allow domains connected to criminal activity to be closed. The Ministry of Infrastructure (Innviðaráðuneytið) opened a public consultation on the proposed changes on 30 July, with comments accepted until 20 August 2026.
The government argues that the current rules do not provide sufficient oversight of an infrastructure that plays an important role in cybersecurity, consumer protection and Iceland’s digital reputation. A bill is expected to be submitted to Alþingi, the Icelandic parliament, in October.
Iceland’s .is domain reform would expand public oversight
The country-code top-level domain .is is administered by Internet á Íslandi hf., commonly known as ISNIC. The company is the only registry operator authorised to allocate Icelandic domain names within the international internet governance system.
According to the assessment published by the ministry and reported by Icelandic public broadcaster RÚV, this gives ISNIC a monopoly over the registration of addresses ending in .is.
The proposed reform would require the registry to submit its registration rules to the Electronic Communications Office of Iceland (Fjarskiptastofa) for approval. The regulator would also be able to demand amendments to those rules.
The ministry says the purpose is to create a clearer regulatory framework for the registry and ensure that the operation of .is serves the public interest, despite remaining under private management.
Stricter identity checks to combat fraud
The government also wants applicants to provide more reliable information when registering a domain. The legislation would establish substantive conditions governing how .is addresses may be used, with the stated aim of reducing fraud and misleading registrations.
One concern is the use of proxy registrations. Under this arrangement, an intermediary appears in the registry as the legal holder of a domain even though another person or organisation operates the website.
The ministry argues that this can make it more difficult to identify those responsible for fraudulent or illegal services. The reform would therefore strengthen verification requirements and increase accountability for both registrants and the registry operator.
Comparable verification systems already operate elsewhere in the Nordic region. The Swedish Internet Foundation (Internetstiftelsen), which manages .se, says it checks registry information against official population and company records and conducts targeted reviews when suspected abuse is reported.
Police could seek the closure of criminal domains
Another proposed change concerns websites linked to criminal activity. Icelandic police currently lack an independent legal power to demand the closure or seizure of an internet domain, according to the Ministry of Justice (Dómsmálaráðuneytið) and police authorities cited in the government’s assessment.
The new legislation would give law enforcement authorities a clearer mechanism to request that such domains be shut down.
The proposal follows public scrutiny of a website concerning officers from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which operated through an .is address. After RÚV reported on the case in February, the ministry said stronger supervision was urgently needed to protect Iceland’s reputation and prevent the domain from being associated with fraud or harmful activities.
The reform would not make Iceland responsible for all content hosted on .is websites. It would instead establish clearer legal responsibilities for the registry and public authorities when a domain is linked to conduct that may violate Icelandic law.
The government is also questioning domain prices
The ministry has also raised concerns about the cost of registering an Icelandic domain. It says prices are considerably higher than in neighbouring countries and are not currently subject to benchmarks or specific regulatory rules.
Since November 2025, ISNIC has charged an annual fee of ISK 7,680, including Icelandic VAT, or €44.90 for customers billed in euros, according to the company’s current price list.
By comparison, the Norwegian registry Norid charges registrars an annual wholesale fee of NOK 65 before VAT, although customers pay additional fees determined by individual providers.
The ministry reported that ISNIC recorded profits of more than ISK 250 million in 2025, approximately €1.75 million based on recent exchange rates. ISNIC chief executive Þór Jensen declined to discuss the proposals with RÚV, saying that the company would submit its position through the consultation process.
A wider question of digital sovereignty
Country-code domains are not merely commercial products. They form part of the basic infrastructure through which public institutions, companies, media organisations and private citizens identify themselves online.
The Icelandic debate therefore concerns more than registration prices. It raises questions about who should control a strategically important digital resource, how private registry operators should be supervised and how governments can respond when national domains are used for fraud or criminal purposes.
The consultation will remain open until 20 August, after which the ministry is expected to prepare the final bill for presentation in October. The outcome could bring Iceland’s model closer to other Nordic systems, where private or independent operators work within more explicit public-interest and regulatory frameworks.
