Top-Level Domain (TLD) is part of the structure of the Domain Name System (DNS) which helps to locate and identify the many entities present on the internet. A TLD is the highest level of domains in this hierarchical DNS.
As for the top-level domain (TLD) “.kids”, as of the time of my research i.e., October 2021, there is no official TLD named “.kids” allocated by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the organization responsible for managing DNS and internet protocol. ICANN maintains a list of valid TLDs that are organized into several categories, including country-code (ccTLDs), internationalized (IDNs), generic (gTLDs), and sponsored (sTLDs) top-level domains. The “.kids” domain does not currently feature in any of these categories (ICANN, 2021).
It might be helpful to note that the idea of a “.kids” TLD is not entirely new. The concept was introduced in the United States by legislators to create an online environment that is safer for children. In 2002, US Congressmen John Shimkus and Edward Markey proposed the “.kids.us” domain in the Dot Kids Implementation and Efficiency Act of 2002. This Act mandated the creation of a second-level domain within the US country code TLD that would provide a safe online environment for children (US congress, 2002).
NeuStar (now known as GoDaddy Inc.), which managed “.us” TLD, implemented the provisions of the Act, and The “.kids.us” domain went live in 2003. But due to low interest and usage, the domain was suspended in 2012 (ZDNet, 2012). Today, the “.kids.us” page redirects to the main “.us” page.
To summarize, as of now there is no TLD named “.kids”. Implementations of similar ideas in the past like “.kids.us” were initiated but didn’t achieve the desired level of success and thus were discontinued.
References:
1. ICANN Official TLD Listing, www.icann.org/resources/pages/tlds-2012-02-25-en
2. Dot Kids Implementation and Efficiency Act of 2002, www.congress.gov/bill/107th-congress/house-bill/3833
3. “NeuStar Shuts Down Kid-Friendly Corner of the Web”, www.zdnet.com/article/neustar-shuts-down-kid-friendly-corner-of-the-web/
