graeme_p - 4:14 am on Feb 1, 2012 (gmt 0)

It is likely to put the cost of registrations up quite significantly

My experience of "commercial verification services" is that if you have recently moved or live the the wrong country they cannot verify you at all.

It will not help at all in dealing with fraud: people who commit serious frauds will know how to fake their identity and address).

This is based on the assumption that the internet is purely for commercial transactions, and ignores the fact that private individuals publish stuff (which politicians would rather then did not, of course - they are harder to spin).

The .uk domains require correct contact info - but it can be hidden from public whois by "non trading" private individuals. There is also no real need to verify it.