GoDaddy, domain registrar, amongst many other things – known for their ridiculous superbowl ads, outspoken vietnam veteran Founder / mouthpiece CEO and cheap domain registration, goodbye.

I find it very irksome to hear that a domain name registrar would have something to do with a taking a domain offline due to the possibility that objectionable content resides on that system. No DMCA takedown notice. No legal process. It’s stated in their agreement – something about morally objectionable content:

You agree that Go Daddy, in its sole discretion and without liability to You, may refuse to accept the registration of any domain name. Go Daddy also may in its sole discretion and without liability to You delete the registration of any domain name during the first thirty (30) days after registration has taken place. Go Daddy may also cancel the registration of a domain name, after thirty (30) days, if that name is being used, as determined by Go Daddy in its sole discretion, in association with spam or morally objectionable activities. Morally objectionable activities will include, but not be limited to: activities designed to defame, embarrass, harm, abuse, threaten, slander or harass third parties; activities prohibited by the laws of the United States and/or foreign territories in which You conduct business; activities designed to encourage unlawful behavior by others, such as hate crimes, terrorism and child pornography; activities that are tortious, vulgar, obscene, invasive of the privacy of a third party, racially, ethnically, or otherwise objectionable; activities designed to impersonate the identity of a third party; and activities designed to harm or use unethically minors in any way. In the event Go Daddy refuses a registration or deletes an existing registration during the first thirty (30) days after registration, You will receive a refund of any fees paid to Go Daddy in connection with the registration either being canceled or refused. In the event Go Daddy deletes the registration of a domain name being used in association with spam or morally objectionable activities, no refund will be issued.

Well, who decides what’s morally acceptable and what isn’t? Lesson learned – read the fine print.

Other followup on this posting: WIRED Blogs, Mashable