The world's most controversial domain registrar has a new owner — and apparently it is “forging a new path”

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8chan and Parler domain host Epik has been acquired, again

Freedom of speech concept - barbed wire around a speech bubble
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Controversial domain registrar Epik has been acquired by Registered Agents Inc. (RAI) to enhance its offerings of services to small businesses and entrepreneurs.

However, Epik is widely known for hosting far-right and neo-Nazi websites such as 8chan and self-labelled ‘free-speech’ social network alternative, Parler.

A statement released by the company noted, “Epik.com is now forging a new path catering to entrepreneurs and businesses seeking top-tier registered agent and domain services.”

“Problematic clients”

Epik says it has made changes to its terms of service during the companies latest ICANN accreditation review to “rid its platform of violators” resulting in the company removing “a handful of problematic clients.”

This will apparently help Epik, “focus on rebuilding trust with its small business and entrepreneurial clients” although its tarnished reputation and history may still be an operational hurdle. 

RAI, which acquired Epik, offer corporate compliance and registered agent services to “start-ups, small businesses, [and] nationwide companies.” The acquisition will allow RAI to offer domain and website registration services to its clients.

Bryce Myrvang, In-House Counsel for RAI, said in a statement, “The asset acquisition and subsequent transfer of the Epik accreditation has been challenging. However, our ability to ensure continuation of services for the hundreds of thousands of domain names for registrants has been a gratifying chapter in my legal career.

“We look forward to redirecting our focus to providing exceptional service to our core business customers with the same level of support, products, and services they are accustomed to receiving.”

Last year, Epik was purchased from Epik Holdings, Inc by Epik LLC in the aftermath of the turmoil caused by debt, a successful hacking attack that leaked customer data, and the Masterbucks scandal.

In a number of TrustPilot reviews, Epik LLC frequently points out that they are a “separate entity under different ownership from the company and people” that the reviews are apparently directed towards. These reviews are most likely referring to the completely different entity, Epik Holdings, Inc.

TechRadar Pro has reached out to Epik LLC for comment, but they did not immediately respond. Subsequent updates will be posted here.

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Benedict Collins
Benedict Collins
Staff Writer (Security)

Benedict has been writing about security issues for close to 5 years, at first covering geopolitics and international relations while at the University of Buckingham. During this time he studied BA Politics with Journalism, for which he received a second-class honours (upper division). Benedict then continued his studies at a postgraduate level and achieved a distinction in MA Security, Intelligence and Diplomacy. Benedict transitioned his security interests towards cybersecurity upon joining TechRadar Pro as a Staff Writer, focussing on state-sponsored threat actors, malware, social engineering, and national security. Benedict is also an expert on B2B security products, including firewalls, antivirus, endpoint security, and password management.