How many applications did ICANN receive for new top-level domains?

ICANN received 1,615 applications from 481 distinct applicants during the April 30 to August 12 application window.

Who else applied for ".agent" besides Meta and OpenAI?

Thirteen applicants in total applied for ".agent". The list includes Meta and OpenAI, and Charleston Road Registry Inc (Google's domain registry subsidiary) is at the top.

What happens when multiple applicants want the same top-level domain?

ICANN will run a community priority evaluation to choose the most suitable applicant for the string. If that process cannot decide, the top-level domain rights are put up for auction.

Which non-AI domains did Japanese companies apply for?

Two applicants, including Kodansha, competed for ".manga". Three applicants, including Toei Animation, competed for ".anime".

AI Regulation & PolicyAI Business & IndustryGIGAZINE AI2m agoOct 9, 2026, 19:01 JST

Meta, OpenAI among 13 applicants for ".agent"

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3 Key Points

What happened
ICANN's 2026 round drew 1,615 applications from 481 distinct applicants between April 30 and August 12, with North America accounting for 864, Europe 506 and Asia-Pacific 218. Meta and OpenAI are among 13 applicants for ".agent", and OpenAI is among 7 for ".agi".
Why it matters
So many parties want control of ".agent" that ICANN will run a community priority evaluation to pick the most suitable applicant; if that fails, the domain rights go to auction.

WHO IT HITSBrand, legal and domain-portfolio teams at the companies that applied — Meta, OpenAI and the other applicants — now face an ICANN evaluation or auction to secure strings like ".agent" and ".agi".

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Context & Analysis

ICANN's release of the application list shows how commercial interest in domain strings now tracks the tech industry's own vocabulary. The 1,615 applications were spread across regions, with North America filing 864, Europe 506, Asia-Pacific 218, Africa 16, and Latin America and the Caribbean 11.

The overlap is not incidental. Because 13 applicants want ".agent" and 7 want ".agi", ICANN's community priority evaluation will decide which applicant is the best fit; failing that, the rights go to auction. The same pattern appears for ".asi", where six applicants competed, a move linked to a broader shift away from the "AI" label toward "SI" (Super Intelligence) — a shift U.S. President Donald Trump has called for, and which Meta has echoed by applying for ".superintelligence".

The product-name filings suggest companies are treating the round as a chance to lock in their own brands as domains. Alphabet applied for ".alphabet", ".chromebook", ".deepmind" and ".fitbit"; Meta for ".facebook", ".instagram", "meta" and ".threads"; OpenAI for ".openai", ".chatgpt", ".codex" and ".gpt"; and Anthropic for ".anthropic" and ".claude". Outside tech, Bluesky applied for ".bsky".

FAQ

How many applications did ICANN receive for new top-level domains?: ICANN received 1,615 applications from 481 distinct applicants during the April 30 to August 12 application window.
Who else applied for ".agent" besides Meta and OpenAI?: Thirteen applicants in total applied for ".agent". The list includes Meta and OpenAI, and Charleston Road Registry Inc (Google's domain registry subsidiary) is at the top.
What happens when multiple applicants want the same top-level domain?: ICANN will run a community priority evaluation to choose the most suitable applicant for the string. If that process cannot decide, the top-level domain rights are put up for auction.
Which non-AI domains did Japanese companies apply for?: Two applicants, including Kodansha, competed for ".manga". Three applicants, including Toei Animation, competed for ".anime".

GIGAZINE AIRead Original Article

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