The .KIDS domain – for the well-being of our children on the Internet

In the following sections you will learn what makes .KIDS so special, how it can best be used by whom on the website and what great advantages it has.

A significant part of young people’s daily lives is spent online. According to global estimates by UNICEF, one in three children is on the Internet. Here, according to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, children are generally defined as people under the age of 18.

Children need a child-friendly environment in their everyday life, especially nowadays in the online world. Kindergartens, elementary schools, children’s TV channels, children’s books and many more are separate and controllable areas just for children. But on the Internet, there have been no such safe areas yet.

What exactly is a .KIDS domain?

The .KIDS domain now offers a solution that gives children their own space on the Internet. It is the new, official domain extension for topics related to children. It was specially designed for websites that are exclusively aimed at children and young people, to ensure the protection of children and young people and a safe environment on the Internet in the future.

Compliance with privacy policies and avoidance of content that may be unsuitable for children is mandatory upon registration.

The advantages of a .KIDS domain

The use of a .KIDS TLD offers great advantages in many respects. Which exactly these are, I explain in the following:

Here, children can browse safely and adults find good advice

The priority is the safety and protection of children and young people exploring, learning, having fun and growing up together. .KIDS guarantees safety for children on the Internet. Parents can therefore let their children surf on pages under this TLD without hesitation.

Here, entertaining and/or educational web content can be created for children and young people themselves and also for their parents or educators. Whether advisory contributions to the education, to the health, to the handling of strokes of fate within the family or learning platforms for children, all topics approximately around the child are almost findable under the .KIDS Domain and above all, trustworthy.

For the online marketing of children’s articles

The children’s only top-level domain is also a top choice for companies to highlight their offerings of products and services online. A company that includes, for example, children’s products in its assortment naturally wants to distinguish them from the other products on the website as much as possible, so that they come to the fore at all.

By using a .KIDS domain, the audience and/or the customer will immediately recognize that the offers are for children. In this case, the .KIDS TLD ensures a structured internet presence and a user-friendly interface of the website.

Your contribution to the well-being of children around the world

The exchange and publication of information for the representation of interests or charitable initiatives for the rights and welfare of children also finds a good place under a .KIDS domain. Organizations and charities from all over the world can network with each other and promote their content and projects for e.g. education, child welfare and much more.

Who is the .KIDS domain interesting for?

Examples include:

  • Entrepreneurial children and youth
  • Mompreneurs, Dadpreneurs
  • Mom and Dad Blogger
  • Teachers, educators and caregivers
  • Advocacy groups for children’s rights
  • Brands with product lines for children
  • Toys, games and other goods for children
  • Media, entertainment and children’s channels
  • Schools, daycare centers, kindergartens, tutors
  • Camps, educational programs

Everyone who deals, works or lives with children online should register a .KIDS domain because it shows “we are trustworthy”. The digital booklet “The ABCs of .kids” contains detailed and valuable information about using .KIDS.

How did the .KIDS domain come into being and who was involved?

The DotKids Foundation, as a Hong Kong-based non-profit organization, has partnered with child rights communities from around the world to support the .KIDS application, including: Child Rights Coalition Asia; Child Welfare League of America; Children’s Lobby Switzerland; The International Association for Child Education; Young Foundation Uganda Rights; The International Association for Child Education; Viva; Terre des Hommes; and many more. The goal of the .KIDS application is a safer Internet for future generations.

This is how the .KIDS TLD offers optimal protection for our children

Safe Internet for future generations. To be able to achieve this goal, the so-called .KIDS Guiding Principles were introduced by all stakeholders. They refer to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and are used to curb inappropriate content on .KIDS domains.

The .KIDS guiding principles at a glance

  • Compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
  • Provide a protection system aimed at curbing inappropriate and abusive content for children
  • Advocating for a set of child-friendly content guides

The focus is on safeguarding the rights of children to seek, obtain and share age-appropriate information and knowledge on the Internet and to avoid effective safeguards against abuse.

In addition, the .KIDS Guiding Principles prohibit illegal and inappropriate content from being published through a .KIDS domain. This includes, but is not limited to, content with explicit sexuality, violence, drug abuse, obscenity, or other topics that are normally considered inappropriate for children and teens. Also, content that promotes tobacco and alcohol use by children (content that depicts adults and indicates that they consume alcohol is not a problem), as well as child labor, human trafficking, and child soldiers.

This also includes domain names that contain obscene terms and words.

In case of violation of the Guiding Principles, a reporting and deactivation process of the .KIDS registry will trigger the termination of the respective .KIDS domain, which will be complemented by an appeal mechanism for reactivation of blocked domains.

How to secure your .KIDS domain name

You like the idea of your own .KIDS domain and you can integrate it perfectly on your website?

Then take a look at the .KIDS page of INWX.