Internet Finally Gets Multilingual in 60+ Countries

Imagine not being able to type your own name in your own language to create an email address or visit a website.

For billions of people worldwide, that's been the reality since the internet began. The entire system was built to only recognize English letters and numbers, forcing everyone else to adapt or miss out.

But here's the good news: that's finally changing. Since 2009, countries have been creating web addresses in their native scripts, and more than 60 nations now offer domain names in languages like Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, and Cyrillic. Morocco launched its Arabic web address "المغرب" in 2011, giving Arabic speakers the chance to browse in their mother tongue.

The shift goes beyond just websites. Email addresses can now include non-Latin characters too, meaning someone could have an email like أحمد@domain.com that actually works. Between 2022 and 2025, the percentage of mail servers ready to handle these international email addresses jumped from 20% to 28%.

This transformation is called Universal Acceptance, a principle ensuring every valid web address and email works smoothly no matter what alphabet it uses. The movement started in 2001 when technologist Ram Mohan recognized that a truly global internet needed to speak everyone's language.

The Ripple Effect

When people can use the internet in their own script, doors open wide. Small business owners in Arab countries can create websites their customers can easily remember and type. Grandparents in China can email grandchildren without learning English characters. Cultural identity gets preserved in the digital age instead of erased by it.

The change also means better access to information for the 4 billion people worldwide who don't use Latin-based alphabets. Students can research in their native scripts. Entrepreneurs can build local businesses online without language barriers.

Major email providers like Gmail and Outlook now accept emails sent to international addresses, though they haven't yet allowed users to create new mailboxes in non-Latin scripts. The hesitation comes down to engineering costs versus business returns, but pressure is building.

Next month, internet leaders gather in Mumbai for the ICANN summit where Universal Acceptance will take center stage. Advocates continue pushing for full adoption across all platforms and applications, not just partial support.

The internet was invented to connect humanity, and now it's finally learning to speak everyone's language.