India’s Website Crackdown Sparks Global Privacy Alarm

India’s new crackdown on fake websites is shaking the internet—and not in a good way. The Delhi High Court issued an order that could strip privacy from millions of legitimate website owners. GoDaddy, the world’s biggest domain registrar, is sounding the alarm. They say the rules could backfire and make the internet less safe worldwide.

Fake-Site Fight Gets Real

India faces a massive cybercrime wave. Last year, 2.4 million complaints flooded in. Nearly 102,000 cybercrime cases were registered in 2024 alone. Almost three-quarters involved online fraud. The government blocked over 1,100 fake websites in December 2025. The targets? Sites pretending to be trusted brands—Amazon, McDonald’s, Microsoft, Xiaomi, and Colgate-Palmolive all joined forces to fight this.

The court’s order demands domain sellers stop offering free privacy by default. They must hand over website owner details within 72 hours to anyone claiming “legitimate interest.” The rules also ban domain names that are slight variations of protected trademarks. This crackdown aims to stop “engines for large scale deception” that trick users and steal identities.

GoDaddy Sounds the Privacy Alarm

GoDaddy manages 80 million domains and serves over 20 million users worldwide. India is its biggest emerging market in 2024. But the company warns the order puts legitimate site owners at risk. The new rules expose personal details that should stay private. This includes journalists, activists, small business owners, and private individuals.

Farzaneh Badii, a researcher on internet governance, explains, “The people exposed will be journalists, activists, small business owners, and private individuals.” GoDaddy argues the order will force it to regulate web addresses globally. Domain names work across borders, so the impact won’t stop at India’s frontier.

GoDaddy also says it can’t judge who truly has a “legitimate interest” for disclosure. This vague standard could flood domain sellers with endless requests. The company warns, “The directives may force domain name companies to exit India.” This could shrink options for Indian businesses and users.

The Privacy vs. Protection Puzzle

Protecting brand owners is vital. But GoDaddy highlights a tricky problem. Blocking domain names that vary a little from trademarks could give some companies a monopoly over common words. For example, banning “McDonald’s” variations could block harmless addresses like mcdonalds-india-franchise.com, which still sells on GoDaddy India for about $10.

Another example: protecting “HUL,” a well-known brand, could affect 118 English words containing those letters, such as “hulk.” GoDaddy says, “It is virtually impossible to register a domain name containing an English word that does not overlap with a registered trademark.” This would make choosing domain names a nightmare.

Rachel Tobac, CEO of SocialProof Security, notes removing phone numbers from public records reduces SIM-swap attacks and phone number harvesting. This highlights how privacy protections help keep users safe. Stripping privacy layers risks exposing owners to cybercrime. India’s Home Minister Amit Shah warns, “One person falls prey to cybercrime every 37 seconds in India.” The stakes are sky-high.

What’s Next for India’s Internet?

The appeals will be heard on July 16, 2026, before a larger bench of judges at the Delhi High Court. The decision could reshape internet governance in India and beyond. It’s part of a wider push by Indian authorities to scrutinize how global tech giants design and operate their products in the country.

GoDaddy’s warning is clear: this crackdown could backfire. It risks making the internet less safe for legitimate businesses and individuals. The move could trigger domain companies to pull out of India. This would reduce competition and hurt users who rely on digital services every day.

India’s fight against fake websites is urgent and necessary. But the balance between brand protection and privacy is fragile. The world will be watching how this legal battle unfolds. It could change how internet privacy and safety work for millions—and that’s a big deal.