Oman's telecom regulator steps in to curb misuse of .om domain

Muscat: Several websites using the .om domain have been shut down by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Oman (TRA), after being found to have been used to mislead internet users and take them to websites with malicious intent.
“All domains that are known or suspected to have been abused in this elicit intent have been immediately taken offline,while the process of investigation and suspension on similar grounds is continuing,” according to a statement from the TRA.
Users who visit these websites are redirected to other websites, which contain possible malware or illegal and unethical content, which could be harmful to users.
Such acts are forbidden and persons and entities could face legal actions, according to the Oman domain names policy.
“We usually shut down the website and the user will not get his money back, as well as bar the user from registering a new domain name,” said an official source.
“It also depends on the severity of the crime, as it could be referred to the public prosecution and court,” the source added.
Omani companies and business are only allowed to register for a .om domain name, in which they have to register through one of the accredited registrars. Non-Omani companies can also register for Omani domains, as long as they have a representative in Oman.
The source said officials maintain lists with all .om domain names deemed suspicious, and are probably undertaking illegal activities. One such website is Netflix.om, which has been shut down.
“Not all Omani domain sites are participating in these activities, but most of them are. We are investigating the issue,” said the source, while adding that officials are requesting website owner’s documents to prove their legitimacy.
The TRA states that strict action against non-compliance of rules and regulations will be taken by the authority, based on investigations and evidence against the entities and individuals who misuse the .om domains.
They also reiterated that the TRA is strongly committed to the security and stability of the internet and will not tolerate any domain names that might cause harm to internet users or the internet eco-system, as well as enforcing its role to protect the national identity and reputation associated with .om domain names.