Punycode is a character encoding method used for internationalized domain names (IDNs).
[15] On 9 September 2003, https://I♥You.com (xn--iyou-5u3b.com), https://I♥.com (xn--i-n3p.com), I❤️You.com and over a thousand other emoji domains were registered by Menno de Ruiter for the first emoji project on the internet in conjunction with the two principal programmers for the Punycode/IDN project at VeriSign and Galcomm ICANN registrar in Israel.
[16] Cabel Sasser of Panic created 💩.la (xn--ls8h.la), "The World's First Emoji Domain", on April 13, 2011.
[17] In February 2015, Coca-Cola used a domain name containing a smiley emoji in an advertising campaign aimed at mobile users in Puerto Rico.
[19] On June 26, 2020, an online collective called It Is What It Is employed the 👁️👄👁️.fm (xn--mp8hai.fm) emoji domain to raise money for various social justice causes.
[20] The viral campaign, which relied on people's fear of missing out, caused thousands of Twitter users to post both the emoji domain and the phrase "It Is What It Is" in hopes of getting access to a rumored exclusive social network.
In the end, It Is What It Is turned out to be a hoax designed to redirect attention to social issues; it ultimately raised over $200,000 and was featured in Wired,[22] Forbes,[21] Business Insider,[23] The Verge,[24] and Gizmodo,[25] among other publications.
[28] It has been speculated that emoji domains, especially on mobile devices, may be used to lure victims into phishing scams.