Not All Internet Neighborhoods Are Created Equal: What Domain Abuse Tells Us About Where You Live Online
The DNS Research Federation’s updated 2025 Q1 League Tables reveal stark differences in online safety across domain registrars, much like real-world neighborhoods. A small group of registrars accounts for most abuse, while many others maintain low or zero abuse rates. Regional trends show higher abuse concentrations amongst Asia-based registrars, though some U.S.-based registrars also rank poorly. The report offers a snapshot of where online abuse currently thrives, as well as where it is being effectively managed, helping users navigate the internet more safely. In this article, we use the analogy of neighborhoods to illustrate how the “location” of a domain can signal trustworthiness or risk, much like a street address in the physical world.