Why isn’t the domain expiration date showing in WHOIS queries anymore?

I read something recently about the DENIC for .de and other registrars updating their policies due to the EU's NIS2 guidelines concerning cybersecurity. This could be related to the changes you're seeing in WHOIS queries.

Are you referring to the `whois` command line tool? Because the 'Registrar Registration Expiration Date' is still present in the Linux `whois` results. However, it looks like certain TLDs might not show it at all, like .ro and .eu.

Each TLD manages its own WHOIS server, which means they can change their output independently. For generic TLDs (gTLDs), you usually see a uniform structure required by ICANN, but country code TLDs (ccTLDs) have more flexibility. Some of them might just choose not to display an expiration date, as I noticed with .ro and .eu domains.

There's a possibility that hiding expiration dates is actually beneficial. Domain hunters and speculators often use public expiration dates to target names close to renewal, leading to spam and aggressive buy-out tactics. By removing this information, it limits unsolicited contact and reduces pressure on registrants, which aligns with a trend towards minimizing publicly exposed metadata that could be abused.