New York (CNN Business) In a move that could shake up the internet, private equity firm Ethos Capital is buying the company that owns every .org domain on the web.

Ethos, which was founded in May 2019, is expected to close its deal to acquire the Public Interest Registry (PIR) during the first quarter of 2020. The sale price has not been released.

Now, nonprofits, which make up the majority of the .org domains, are panicking about the purchase, scampering to sign a petition spearheaded by the National Council of Nonprofits that calls for blocking the deal.

There are currently some 10 million .org domains on the internet. The petition against the sale has 8,900 signatures and counting, including organizations such as the Girl Scouts of America and YMCA.

that this purchase could come with increases in The petition signers are worriedthat this purchase could come with increases in domain prices and censorship , according to SaveDotOrg, a website run by NTEN, a community of nonprofit tech professionals.

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