History of the TLD

The .cam top‑level domain (TLD) is a generic TLD introduced under ICANN’s New gTLD Program. It became publicly available in 2017. The registry operator is CAM Connecting SARL, with CentralNic serving as the backend technical provider. .cam was created to provide a descriptive namespace for camera, video, and visual content oriented online presences.

Main Use and Industry Position

.cam is primarily used by creators, businesses, and services related to cameras, photography, videography, live streaming, webcams, and visual media platforms. It also finds use among security and surveillance brands and imaging technology vendors. Its semantic association with “cam” positions it as a thematic alternative to general TLDs for visually oriented projects and brands.

Comparison to Other TLDs

Compared to generic TLDs such as .com, .net, and .org, .cam is thematic and niche‑oriented, offering clearer branding for visual media and camera‑related websites. Against other media‑focused TLDs like .video and .tv, .cam is more specifically associated with camera and webcam content rather than broad media or broadcast usage. While .com remains universally recognised, .cam provides industry relevance that can support branding for visual content platforms and professionals.

Pros and Cons of the TLD

Pros

• Clear thematic alignment with camera, photography, and visual content projects

• Open registration with no eligibility restrictions

• Supports DNSSEC for secure DNS resolution

Cons

• Less global recognition and default familiarity than .com

• Potential confusion with .com due to string similarity

• Lower commercial appeal outside the visual content niche

Registration Criteria

Registration is open to any individual or organisation on a first‑come, first‑served basis. Domain names may include letters, numbers, and hyphens, must be between 1 and 63 characters long, and cannot begin or end with a hyphen or have hyphens in the third and fourth positions. Internationalised Domain Names (IDNs) are supported.

Summary

.cam is a generic top‑level domain created within ICANN’s new gTLD program and widely available for anyone to register. It is positioned for use by photography, video, and camera‑oriented content creators and organisations that want a descriptive domain aligned with visual media. It offers open registrations, moderate branding specificity, and technical features like DNSSEC support. Compared to broader TLDs like .com, .cam provides niche relevance at the expense of universal recognition.