Neil Fraser, a former software engineer at Google now living in Switzerland, has built much of his digital presence around the domain name neil.fraser.name. He registered the domain nearly 25 years ago, using it for his website, email, and server hosting APIs. Fraser notes that the domain predates major platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and even smartphones. He also registered beverly.fraser.name shortly after the birth of his daughter, intending for her to benefit from the domain’s long-term stability and reliability. However, Fraser now faces the possibility of losing his domain and all its associated services. Fraser chose the .name domain extension for two key reasons. Technically, the .name extension was designed as a personal namespace with a specific structure: the top-level domain (.name), followed by a surname (fraser.name), and then a first name (neil.fraser.name). This three-level system ensured that each domain of the form xxx.yyy.name was a complete, registered entity, visible in the WHOIS database. This provided individuals with a stable, readable online address tied directly to their identity. Additionally, Fraser preferred .name because it was managed by Global Name Registry, a company focused on personal domains, rather than Verisign, which he had previously had issues with. In 2008, Verisign acquired Global Name Registry and took control of all .name domains. For over 18 years, the structure of the .name domain remained largely unchanged. However, on April 15, 2026, Verisign requested ICANN, the organization that oversees domain names globally, to remove the third level of the .name hierarchy due to a decline in usage. ICANN approved the request on July 28, 2026. Fraser learned of the change when his domain registrar contacted him to inform him of the upcoming cancellation, even though he had paid up to the year 2040 for the domain. Fraser describes the situation as him "disappearing from the internet," with immediate consequences on his digital life, including the loss of his website, personal email, and all technical services tied to the domain. Fraser has also raised concerns about potential cybersecurity risks from the change. He explains that removing the third level could make second-level names, such as fraser.name, available for registration again. If someone else were to take over fraser.name, they could potentially recreate and control neil.fraser.name, which could allow them to hack accounts linked to that email address, submit code in his name, or even take control of connected devices. Fraser notes that it is impossible to track all the accounts associated with the email address over the past 25 years. The transition is expected to occur in February 2027, and Fraser plans to consult a lawyer before then. Along with his daughter Beverly, about 22,000 other domains are affected by this change.