DNS0.eu, a European privacy-oriented Domain Name System (DNS) resolver, has announced it will cease operations due to insufficient financial support. The service, operated by the Dutch non-profit Stichting NLnet Labs and the French organization Fondation RESTENA, confirmed the decision after efforts to secure continued funding failed, as first reported by Techzine.eu.
Launched to provide a transparent and secure alternative to commercial DNS resolvers, DNS0.eu offered encrypted DNS queries within EU jurisdiction, protecting users from data harvesting and malicious domains. Its operators positioned the service as part of Europe’s broader digital sovereignty initiative, promoting privacy and resilience in online communications.
According to the announcement, the project’s funding shortfall stemmed from a lack of sustained institutional backing, despite early support from European digital policy advocates. Without sufficient resources to maintain infrastructure and threat intelligence feeds, the team determined the service could not continue meeting its operational standards.
DNS0.eu’s shutdown underscores the challenge of sustaining public-interest cybersecurity infrastructure in a commercial-dominated ecosystem. Users seeking alternatives are being advised to migrate to other privacy-focused DNS services such as Quad9 or NextDNS, though these providers operate under different legal jurisdictions and policies.
The closure marks the end of one of the few EU-based DNS initiatives that combined security filtering, data minimization, and full GDPR compliance in its operations.