The top-level domain is the final segment of the domain name. The “cm” top-level domain (TLD) is the Internet country code TLD for Cameroon. This domain is administered by the netcom.cm SARL, under the supervision of the Cameroonian Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications.
The .CM TLD is subject to nationally defined administration and regulation process, and it may or may not open to registration for entities outside of Cameroon, depending on the policies defined by the domain administrator. As of 2020, and all registrants both in Cameroon and from outside countries are able to obtain a .CM domain directly at the second level, like “example.cm”.
Yet, owing to the potential confusion with .com domain, and some history of security concerns such as domain name spoofing or typosquatting, the choosing of .CM as your domain extension should come after close consideration of these factors.
In general, one of the key considerations in choosing a domain name is the ability for your audience to easily remember and accurately type it. While a .CM extension would be quite relevant if you are running a site intended for a Cameroonian audience, or trying to use the ‘.cm’ creatively in your domain name, potential confusion with ‘.com’ might lead to your audience accidentally typing your URL incorrectly.
As a historical reference, in August 2006, it was reported that the .cm registry had set up a wildcard DNS record, so that all unregistered .cm domains would redirect to a parking page with sponsored links. The practice, a form of domain name typo squatting, leads to a degradation of the name space, and can lead to loss of traffic for .com sites. These incidents have caused a certain degree of controversy related to the .CM domain.
Sources:
- “Cameroon (.CM) becomes Africa’s first country to meet the technical eligibility requirements”. ICANN. 2015.
- Miller, Rich (August 6, 2006). “Developing: .CM To Be a Typo Chaser’s Paradise”. Domain Name News.
- Mooney, Paul (March 6, 2008). “Enter at your own risk”. Typosquatting.
- Gallagher, Sean (July 15, 2008). “Your typo, their ad revenue”. Security+” in September.
- Frank Ward, Jacob (August 6, 2006). “Where Do Lost Web Pages Go?”. CNN.
