The top-level domain (TLD) “.gle” is a branded TLD that’s a part of the New Generic Top-Level Domain Program carried out by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). A top-level domain is the last part of an internet domain name, typically coming after the last dot in a web address. It is one of the categories of internet domain names.
Wikimedia Foundation (2021) states that branded TLDs like “.gle” are specific to particular companies or organizations. These domains are not available for public use, unlike generic TLDs (like .com or .org). The “.gle” domain is specifically designated for Google LLC.
A quick search on WHOIS Lookup provided by ICANN (2020) will indicate that Google LLC is referred to as the registrar for the .gle domain. Google has begun to use this domain for some of its pages, adopting this practice from 2014 when a few select brands first received access to their specific TLDs.
The program of establishing branded TLDs was initiated to increase competition and choice in the domain name space, according to ICANN (2011). This change was considerable given that before this, only 22 generic TLDs were available along with about 250 country-specific TLDs. However, with the implementation of this program, hundreds of new TLDs have now been created.
For example “.youtube” as a TLD is dedicated to Google-owned multimedia platform, YouTube. “.amazon” was assigned to Amazon Technologies, Inc., the multinational technology company. BBC’s websites utilize “.bbc” TLD.
Domain name registrations for branded TLDs, like “.gle”, are carried out via brand-specific registration policies, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization (2013). This means they are unlikely to be registered or used by anyone outside the company to which the TLD is assigned. So you won’t see any domain names ending in .gle that aren’t owned and operated by Google LLC.
To answer the question, the top-level domain (TLD) “.gle” is a branded TLD owned by Google LLC. Its usage is restricted to websites managed by Google and is part of a wider program to increase diversity in the domain name space.
REFERENCES:
- ICANN – New gTLD Program (2011)
- WHOIS Lookup – ICANN data about .gle domain, (2020)
- WIPO guidebook, section 3.2.4 (2013)
- Wikimedia Foundation. (2021). Top level domain. In Wikipedia.
