The top-level domain (TLD) “.se” is the Internet country code for Sweden. It’s officially assigned and designated by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), a department of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). This assignment is in accordance with the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country codes. These domains, known as ccTLDs (country code Top Level Domains), are a type of TLD in the Domain Name System (DNS) of the internet, intended to be used to show a connection with the area or territory of the particular country (MSU.edu).
“.se” domain registration is open to any individuals, organizations, or companies who meet certain criteria and is regulated by The Internet Foundation in Sweden (IIS). This independent organization is responsible for the management and administration of the “.se” domain, thus ensuring that the operators of “.se” websites are compliant with Swedish law and the IIS’s own rules (IIS.se).
Nevertheless, there has been a trend over the years among both Swedish and non-Swedish firms to register a .se domain, not just because they have a physical presence in Sweden, but also because they want to demonstrate an affiliation with or an affection for Sweden or because they want to protect their brand from being registered by another party (World Intellectual Property Organization, WIPO).
Examples of sites using the “.se” domain include Sweden’s government site “regeringen.se”, non-profit organization “redcross.se”, well-known University “lu.se” for Lund University, and many more. The Swedish company Ikea, known globally, also uses the “.se” domain for their Swedish website “ikea.se”.
On an interesting note, while primarily known for its association with Sweden, the “.se” domain has seen some use in the Spanish-speaking world as it can be read as “sé”, the first person singular form of the verb “ser” meaning “to be”. The singer Shakira, for instance, used this as a promotional tool for her 2009 tour with the domain “lasquiero.se”, meaning “I love them” in Spanish.
In summary, the “.se” top-level domain is an internet country code primarily representing Sweden and overseen by The Internet Foundation in Sweden (IIS). However, it has seen use outside of Sweden due to its potential interpretation in the Spanish language.
References
1. IANA — .se Domain Delegation Data. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/se.html
2. ISO 3166 — Country codes. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.iso.org/iso-3166-country-codes.html
3. .SE domain names – Sweden | Gandi.net. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.gandi.net/en/domain/tld/se
4. .se – Wikipedia. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.se
5. DNS service | .SE. (2012, April 26). https://internetstiftelsen.se/en/our-services/dns-service/
6. Domain dispute resolution at WIPO. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/cctld/se/index.html
7. Shakira official website – Lasquiero.se. (2009). Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20090706081645/http://lasquiero.se/
