ICANN

Study Finds GDPR Has Had Minimal Impact on Spam and Domain Registrations

Contrary to concerns regarding the effect of GDPR, "not only has there not been an increase in spam, but the volume of spam and new registrations in spam-heavy generic top-level domains (gTLDs) has been on the decline."

Special Interests Circulating Draft Legislation to Cut Short ICANN’s Whois Policy Process

Special interests who oppose privacy are circulating draft legislation to cut short ICANN's Whois policy process, warns Milton Mueller in a post published today in Internet Governance Project.

ICANN Facing Critical Choice for Plan to Change DNS Cryptographic Key

While the majority of ICANN's Security and Stability Advisory Committee (SSAC) have given the organization the green signal to roll, or change, the "top" pair of cryptographic keys used in the DNSSEC protocol, commonly known as the Root Zone KSK (Key Signing Key), five members of the committee advised against the October 11 rollover timeline.

Launch of .ISLAM and .HALAL TLDs Remain on Hold as per ICANN’s Controversial Decision

"ICANN holds .islam, .halal in limbo despite losing case," reports Kieren McCarthy in The Register.

ICANN Passes on Israel as Possible 2020 Meeting Venue Due to Escalating Iran/Israel Conflict

Tel-Aviv, Israel was rejected as a possible venue for one of ICANN's 2020 public meetings due to its proximity to the Gaza strip and the escalation of an Iran/Israel conflict.

Former ICANN Senior Vice President Kurt Pritz to be Named Chair of Whois Group

"Former ICANN senior vice president Kurt Pritz is expected to be named chair of the group tasked with reforming Whois in the post-GDPR world," reports Kevin Murphy in Domain Incite.

ICANN Issues Notice of Breach of Registry Agreement to .Pharmacy TLD Operator

The National Association of Board of Pharmacy ("NABP"), the operator of the .Pharmacy top-level domain is in breach of its Registry Agreement with the ICANN according to a letter issued by the agency today.

Anti-Phishing Working Group Proposes Use of Secure Hashing to Address GDPR-Whois Debacle

The AntiPhishing Working Group (APWG) in a letter to ICANN has expressed concern that the redaction of the WHOIS data as defined by GDPR for all domains is "over-prescriptive".

Application Fees for New gTLDs Could Be Artificially Kept High

"It's possible that application fees for new gTLDs could be artificially propped up in order to discourage gaming," reports Kevin Murphy in Domain Incite.

European Data Regulators Throw ICANN Back to the Drawing Board for a Third Time on Whois Privacy

In a letter to ICANN, the chair of the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) makes it plain that even the organization's "interim" plan is fundamentally flawed, reports Kieren McCarthy in the Register.

US Govt Formally Asks Whether It Should Reassert Its Control of Internet, Reversing ICANN Handover

A formal inquiry released by the US National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) on Tuesday questions whether IANA Stewardship Transition should be "unwound."

ICANN Files Legal Action Against Domain Registrar for Refusal to Collect WHOIS Data

Germany-based ICANN-accredited registrar EPAG owned by Tucows has informed ICANN that it plans to stop collecting Whois contact information from its customers as it violates the GDPR rules.

Domain Name Registrars Ask ICANN for a “Moratorium” on Its New GDPR Policy

"Domain name sellers rub ICANN's face in sticky mess of Europe's GDPR," Kieren McCarthy reporting in The Register.

A Short-Term Suspension of GDPR Enforcement on WHOIS May Be Necessary, Says U.S. Government

Implementation of European Union's General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, is a major concern of our government, said David Redl during a meeting held on Thursday in Washington DC.

ICANN Releases Temporary WHOIS Specification Plan for GDPR Compliance With Deadline Two Weeks Away

ICANN has released temporary specifications for gTLD registration data in order to establish temporary requirements needed for the organization and gTLD registry operators to continue to comply with existing ICANN contractual requirements and community-developed policies.