DENIC in interview: More regulation, stable demand, and why domains remain indispensable even in the AI era

NIS-2 Brings Greater Transparency – and Increased Responsibility for Domain Owners

A central topic in the discussion was the NIS-2 Directive, which for the first time sets concrete requirements across the EU for the domain industry. For registries and registrars, this primarily means: more responsibility in verifying domain owner data.

In future, domain information must not only be recorded but also actively verified if in doubt. Especially in cases of anomalies – such as incorrect address details – new verification processes will be implemented. For domain owners, this could have tangible consequences: if a required verification is not carried out, the domain may be deactivated or deleted in extreme cases.

At the same time, the regulation increases transparency. Company data will become more publicly accessible again, for example in the Whois system. The goal is to reduce misuse and improve the traceability of domains.

.de Remains Market Leader – Despite New Domain Extensions and AI Hype

Despite growing competition from new domain extensions, the .de domain remains highly resilient. According to DENIC, around 70% of users prefer to register a .de domain if the desired domain is still available.

With approximately 17.7 million registered domains, .de continues to be one of the largest extensions worldwide. New trends such as .ai domains attract attention, but so far have had no noticeable impact on the demand for traditional country-code domains.

One reason for this is strong brand recognition: in Germany, .de is deeply established and omnipresent in everyday life – an advantage that many other countries do not have in this form.

AI Changes User Behaviour – but Not the Foundations of the Internet

The increasing importance of AI was also a topic in the interview. The question: Will domains become obsolete in the long term due to AI-based search systems?

DENIC’s assessment is clear: No.

While search behaviour is changing – especially younger users are increasingly turning to platforms or AI tools – the content accessed by these systems still resides on traditional websites. And these websites require domains as their foundation.

Domains therefore remain an essential part of the internet infrastructure – not only for websites, but also for email communication, APIs, and numerous technical processes behind the scenes.

Cooperative Model Ensures Stable Framework Conditions

An interesting aspect is the structure of DENIC itself: as a cooperative, it does not operate for profit, but in the interests of its members.

Specifically, this means: DENIC provides the technical infrastructure and passes on its costs, while the pricing in the end customer market is entirely determined by the registrars. This creates a functioning competition without the registry itself intervening in the market.

Especially in times of increasing regulatory requirements, this model ensures stability – both for providers and customers.

Focus on Security: Domains as Critical Infrastructure

Apart from market and regulatory issues, the discussion also made clear the central role domains play in digital infrastructure.

The DENIC operates a global Anycast network that ensures .de domains are reliably accessible worldwide – even in the event of individual node failures. This stability is essential, as domains are no longer only used for websites but also for numerous technical systems behind the scenes, such as in banking or industrial applications.

Conclusion

The interview clearly shows: The domain industry faces new challenges due to regulation and changing user behaviour. At the same time, the fundamental importance of domains remains unbroken.

The .de domain maintains its strong market position, while AI and new extensions tend to complement rather than displace. For hosting providers and domain registrars, this mainly means: increasing demands on processes and compliance – while demand remains stable.

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