Move over .com! Major online shake-up could see websites ending in .fart and .taylorswift

In the biggest shakeup of the internet in over a decade, the way you look for websites could be about to get a lot sillier.The organisation responsible for maintaining web addresses has just released its first new list of domain 'top levels', the part of a web address that often says '.com.'Companies, community groups and even a few individuals have applied for the rights to 1,600 new addresses.And, if they are approved, you could soon be visiting a website ending in .fart, .zzz, or even .taylorswift.The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann), a US-based non-profit, has been managing the World Wide Web's address book since 1999.Now, for the first time ever, people have been able to have almost any word they can think of enshrined as a top-level domain.Many of the new top-level domains are relatively innocuous generic phrases such as .tea, .advice, or .brand – but many are far stranger.A registry of applications reveals some truly bizarre 'primary strings' including .trump, .meow, .bro, .maga, and .god. The internet's biggest shakeup in over a decade could mean you'll be visiting websites ending in .fart or .taylorswift The last time Icann opened up its registry for new applications was in 2012, which brought us domains like .plumbing, .wedding, .pizza, and .babysitting.However, this year's round of applications is far more expansive and has attracted some much stranger suggestions.Icann says it has received 1,615 applications, including 333 from brands and 16 from community groups.Kurtis Lindqvist, President and Chief Executive Officer of Icann, says: 'These applications demonstrate how organizations around the world are seeking new ways to build trusted online identities, serve their communities, and connect with Internet users.'While they might be funny, these top-level domains do not come cheap, with prices starting at $227,000 (£171,565) just to apply.If multiple groups have their sights set on the same domain, bidding wars can quickly spiral into the millions.A company called Nu Dot Co previously paid $135million to get control of .web, while Google spent $25million to secure .app in 2015.That might seem odd, but getting the rights to a popular top-level domain can be a massive money spinner. The organisation responsible for maintaining web addresses has revealed applications for over 1,600 new 'top-level' domains, including 15 applications from OpenAI for adresses such as .chatgpt and .codex. Pictured: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Some of the strangest new top-level domains .fart.trump.taylorswift.maga.slop.itiswhatitis.ape.bff.omg.lmao .cannabis .erica .goat .meow .pickleball Whoever wins the domain from Icann becomes a 'registry', gaining control over the string and the right to sell domains using it for a yearly fee.For example, if you make a website from a site like GoDaddy with the .app domain, Google will get a sizeable cut of whatever you pay, while Icann also takes a small transaction fee.These can be so lucrative that Verisign, a global technology firm, generates $1.5billion every year just by renting out .com domains.And this year's applications show that investors are still prepared to spend big snapping up new domains.A group that has received $36million in funding from domain investor Yoni Belousov is seeking hundreds of novelty domains, including .fart, .slop, and .itiswhatitis.Meanwhile, big tech companies are vying for anything related to AI.A total of 13 companies, including OpenAI, are competing for the .agent domain, while there are seven applicants for .agi – which stands for artificial general intelligence.OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, is also applying for 15 domains of its own, including .openai, .chatgpt, and .codex.Meta is going for a grand total of 21 new domains, including .aiglasses and .muse, while Anthropic has applications for .anthropic and .claude.But it isn't just massive companies who have been caught up in top-level domain mania, and a few ultra-rich individuals are now trying to fence off their digital identities.TAS Rights Management, LLC, the company which owns the rights to Taylor Swift's name, image, likeness, and voice, has made an application for .taylorswift.DTTM TLD, LLC, an affiliate of DTTM Operations, a holding company that manages Donald Trump's trademarks, has applied for the domain .trumpLikewise, DTTM TLD, LLC, an affiliate of DTTM Operations, a holding company that manages Donald Trump's trademarks, has grabbed .trump.Icann will make a final decision on the new addresses on November 17.However, the Icann system has also come under criticism from online safety campaigners, who allege that the organisation doesn't check the real identities of the people behind domains.A 2023 study published by the DNS Research Foundation found that domains under ICANN control were much more likely to be a source of malicious activity than those administered by the EU.The report found that domains issued by Icann in 2012 accounted for about eight per cent of all website registrations, but 27 per cent of all phishing, malware and spam.Meanwhile, EU country codes, such as .fr or .de, accounted for 14 per cent of registrations but just three per cent of malicious activity.The DNS Research Foundation claimed one of the main reasons is that European registries often check the names and contact details supplied by domain owners.The Daily Mail has approached Icann for comment.