Next Generation gTLD RDS to Replace WHOIS PDP Working Group

Next Generation gTLD RDS to Replace WHOIS PDP Working Group
Status:	Active
Issue Areas:	Domain Name Registrant Data
Date Established:	November 2015
Charter:	[ WG Charter]
Workspace:	[ Community Wiki]

WHOIS launched in 1982 as a directory of contact information for ARPANET users and is currently used for registration data on all gTLDs. As the Internet became a global and commercial resource, WHOIS began serving new purposes not envisioned in its origin, including use by law enforcement agencies, intellectual property interests, businesses, individual users, and even some malicious purposes. Despite these developments, the WHOIS protocol has remained largely unchanged and has been a long-standing source of debate, with nearly 15 years of work without any comprehensive reform.

In 2012, the WHOIS Policy Review Team’s released its final report that outlined a set of recommendations to ensure that WHOIS policy is effective, meets the legitimate needs of law enforcement and promotes consumer trust. Shortly after the final report, the SSAC issued a response that stressed the importance of “understanding the purpose of domain name registration data” before any meaningful, comprehensive solution can be reached.

On 8 November 2012, the ICANN Board passed a resolution for a board-initiated PDP and the Expert Working Group on gTLD Registration Directory Services (EWG) was launched to consider the purpose of registration data and how to safeguard it, and propose a new model that addresses the issues of accuracy, privacy, and access. The EWG released its final report in 2014, leading to the development of a Process Framework for the PDP, which was adopted in May 2015 by the ICANN Board, reaffirming its request for a Board-initiated PDP. In November 2015, the GNSO Council approved the charter for the Next-Generation gTLD Registration Directory Services to Replace Whois Policy Development Process Working Group (RDS PDP WG).

Progress

The RDS PDP is a 3-phase process:

• Phase 1: Policy - Requirements
• Phase 2: Policy - Functional Design
• Phase 3: Implementation and and Coexistence Guide

Phase 1

The PDP is currently in Phase 1, in which the WG should at a minimum reach consensus on a foundation for providing recommendations to two questions:

1) What are the fundamental requirements for gTLD registration data and directory services?

The WG has deliberated on 4 of 5 fundamental questions, relating to the fundamental requirements of registration data, including issues relating to users, access, privacy and data elements.

5 Fundamental Charter Questions:

• Users and Purposes: Who should have access to gTLD registration data and why?
• Gated Access: What steps should be taken to control data access for each user/purpose?
• Registration Data Accuracy: What steps should be taken to improve data accuracy?
• Privacy: What steps are needed to protect privacy and data?
• Registration Data Elements: What data should be collected, stored, disclosed?

At ICANN59, the WG presented its tentative conclusions and rough consensus on more than 20 key concepts derived from the fundamental charter questions, relating to the issues of users/purposes, data elements, and privacy, specifically for a “minimum public data set (MPDS),” or “thin data.” Since then, the WG has expanded the scope to the data elements beyond the MPDS, or “thick data.”

As of August 2017, the WG had reached 38 initial points of Ultimately, the fundamental requirements determined for gTLD registration data will be used to inform deliberations around access.

2) Is a new policy framework and next-generation RDS needed to address these requirements?

The agreements on the fundamental requirements will be used to determine if a new RDS is needed or if WHOIS meets the requirements. If a next-gen RDS is needed, the WG will recommend “cross-cutting requirements” that it must address. If not, the WG will determine what changes, if any, need to be made to the current WHOIS policy framework. Depending on the outcome of these deliberations, the PDP will transition into Phase 2 to design policies to satisfy the requirements from Phase 1.

All deliberations and initial agreements have been guided by the “Draft Registration Data and Directory Service Statement of Purpose”, which lists the Following specific purposes:

1. A purpose of gTLD registration data is to provide info about the lifecycle of a domain name and its resolution on the Internet.
2. A purpose of RDS is to facilitate dissemination of gTLD registration data of record2, such as domain names and their domain contacts and nameservers in accordance with applicable policy.
3. A purpose of RDS is to identify domain contacts and facilitate communication with domain contacts associated with generic top-level domain names, (based on approved policy).
4. A purpose of gTLD registration data is to provide a record of domain name registrations.

Policy Development Process

Security and Stability Advisory Committee. Advises the ICANN community and Board on matters relating to the security and integrity of the Internet's naming and address allocation systems (ICANN Bylaws).

Generic Names Supporting Organization. Develops and recommends to the Board substantive policies relating to generic top-level domains and other responsibilities set forth in the Bylaws (ICANN Bylaws).