Dispute between Google and Symantec leads to uncertainty over EV SSL certificates

The Google Chrome team recently announced a proposal to immediately stop recognizing Extended Validation status for all Symantec SSL certificates in the Chrome browser, and to eventually require revalidation and replacement for all Symantec-issued certificates.

In the near term, if Google moves forward with it its proposal, websites with Symantec EV SSL certificates will no longer display a green bar that indicates extended validation (in the Chrome browser). The long-term consequences aren’t as certain at this point.

There is currently no immediate action required by Name.com customers with Symantec EV certificates, but you can shop for a new SSL certificate from Google-trusted brands like Comodo. We’ll send email notifications to affected customers as soon as definitive information is available and/or user action is required.

Background information on Google-Symantec dispute

Ryan Sleevi, a software engineer on the Google Chrome team, stated in a forum post that Chrome is cracking down on the SSL provider following allegations that Symantec has mis-issued more than 30,000 certificates to customers.

Symantec responded to these claims on their blog, where they say that the scope of mis-issued certificates is “exaggerated and misleading.” Although they defend their position as a trusted member of the SSL community, they said they are open to working with Google to resolve the situation.

Update 6/7/17—After months of working together, Google and Symantec have been able to come up with a solution for this dispute. If Symantec makes significant changes to the way they operate their Certificate Authority, Google will continue to recognize and support their certificates in the Chrome browser. Read the full story here.