Fwd: [council] Update: ICANN Projects Underway to Improve Whois Accuracy

[Robin Gross]

FYI:

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "GNSO.SECRETARIAT at GNSO.ICANN.ORG"  
> <gnso.secretariat at gnso.icann.org>
> Date: December 24, 2007 12:40:42 PM PST
> To: "council >> 'Council GNSO'" <council at gnso.icann.org>
> Subject: [council] Update: ICANN Projects Underway to Improve Whois  
> Accuracy
>
>
> [To: council[at]gnso.icann.org; liaison6c[at]gnso.icann.org]
> [To: ga[at]gnso.icann.org; announce[at]gnso.icann.org]
> [To: regional-liaisons[at]icann.org]
>
> http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-2-21dec07.htm
> Update: ICANN Projects Underway to Improve Whois Accuracy
>
> 21 December 2007
>
> The following compliance projects, intended to improve Whois data  
> accuracy and Whois service accessibility, are underway by ICANN.
>
> I. ICANN Commences Whois Data Accuracy Study
> http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-2-21dec07.htm#I
>
> II. Registrar Whois Data Reminder Policy Audit
> http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-2-21dec07.htm#II
>
> III. Registrar Investigation of Whois Inaccuracy Claims Audit
> http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-2-21dec07.htm#III
>
> IV. Whois Accessibility Study
> http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-2-21dec07.htm#IV
>
> I. ICANN Commences Whois Data Accuracy Study
>
> Over the years ICANN constituencies and others have observed  
> apparent inaccuracies in Whois contact information provided by  
> registrants when registering and maintaining their domain names. In  
> an attempt to contribute to community discussion regarding Whois  
> policy, ICANN has undertaken a study of domain name Whois contact  
> information accuracy.
>
> With a great deal of Internet community interest behind it, ICANN  
> commenced this study in November 2007 by developing a sampling plan  
> to draw a representative sample of domain names from the gTLD name  
> population.  In consultation with a statistician, ICANN developed  
> an algorithm to determine the appropriate sample population size –  
> one that provides acceptable accuracy and certainty levels. In the  
> first phase of this study, ICANN will select a sample from what is  
> (for statistical purposes) an infinitely large data base that will  
> provide a measure of accuracy to +/- 5% with a certainty of 95%.   
> Staff will then randomly select domain names in accordance with  
> statistical sampling practices.
>
> ICANN is currently defining the steps staff will take to determine  
> the accuracy of Whois contact information associated with each  
> registered domain name and address within the representative  
> sample.  It is ICANN’s goal to ensure that staff uses practical and  
> reasonably reliable means to assess accuracy of each data set.
>
> After finalizing the methodology to determine the Whois data  
> accuracy of each data set, staff will execute the steps for each  
> registered domain name within the representative sample.  Staff  
> anticipates several steps will be necessary to determine Whois data  
> accuracy.  Therefore, staff will conduct this study in phases.   
> ICANN will publish status reports as staff completes work in  
> connection with each phase of the study.  The first report  
> regarding this study will be published by February 2008.
>
> II. Registrar Whois Data Reminder Policy Audit
>
> ICANN adopted the Whois Data Reminder Policy (WDRP), through the  
> consensus policy process, on 27 March 2003. Partially aided by  
> staff audit and compliance efforts, there is a very high level of  
> compliance by registrars with this policy implementation. This is  
> illustrated by the fact that most registrar activities in  
> compliance with this requirement are timed to occur coincidentally  
> with the annual ICANN compliance audit.
>
> The WDRP requires all Registrars to:
>
>     * present current Whois information to each registrant on an  
> annual basis.
>     * request each registrant review the information and if  
> necessary, make any corrections.
>     * remind each registrant that the provision of false Whois  
> information can be grounds for cancellation of their domain name.
>
> All ICANN-accredited registrars must comply with the WDRP for  
> registrations they sponsor in all top-level domains for which they  
> are accredited.
>
> The WDRP audit requests that all registrars respond to a survey  
> designed to obtain information regarding registrar compliance with  
> the WDRP. Additionally, ICANN request registrars to provide a  
> sample copy of the WDRP notice transmitted to their registrants for  
> assessment by ICANN staff.  Staff determines whether the notice is  
> compliant with WDRP requirements.
>
> ICANN transmitted the WDRP survey to ICANN-accredited registrars in  
> October 2007.  Registrars were given until 16 November 2007 to  
> respond to the WDRP survey and provide a copy of their WDRP  
> notices.  ICANN will publish its 2007 WDRP Report in February 2008.  
> As has become tradition, ICANN has witnessed registrar compliance  
> with this contractual requirement, sending the notices to  
> registrants, within the past few weeks.
>
> III. Registrar Investigation of Whois Inaccuracy Claims Audit
>
> ICANN commenced an audit in November 2007 to assess registrar  
> compliance with Registrar Accreditation Agreement (RAA)  
> requirements concerning the investigation of Whois inaccuracy  
> claims filed through ICANN’s Whois Data Problem Report System (WDPRS).
>
> ICANN’s WDPRS receives and tracks complaints regarding incomplete  
> or inaccurate Whois data entries. ICANN assesses and reports  
> annually the WDPRS activity and apparent level of success this tool  
> has in improving Whois accuracy. As a result, ICANN can make a  
> preliminary determination as to whether complaints of inaccuracy  
> are routinely investigated by registrars. This investigation is a  
> contractual requirement.
>
> ICANN recently transmitted Notices of Concern to registrars that  
> appeared to take inadequate action in response to WDPRS complaints.  
> Prior to sending the notices, staff analyzed complaints and  
> complainant follow-up correspondence. As an example, the Notices of  
> Concern included a sample of domain names complainants filed as of  
> 7 July 2007 that remained unchanged on 7 December 2007.
>
> Staff requested registrars provide ICANN with details regarding the  
> steps taken to investigate the claimed inaccuracies as required by  
> Section 3.7.8 of the RAA.  If after analyzing registrar responses  
> ICANN determines that registrars breached section 3.7.8 of the RAA,  
> ICANN will issue breach notices to those registrars not in  
> compliance with this requirement and who have not filed a plan to  
> cure this failure. ICANN will publish a report regarding the  
> purpose, methodology and findings concerning the Registrar  
> Investigation of Whois Inaccuracy Claims Audit by February 2008.
>
> IV. Registrar Whois Accessibility Audit
>
>  Pursuant to Section 3.3.1 of the RAA, a registrar is required to  
> provide free port 43 Whois service, allowing the public query-based  
> access to up-to-date data concerning all active registered gTLD  
> names under the registrar’s sponsorship.
>
> To monitor and enforce registrar compliance with port 43 Whois  
> service requirements, ICANN developed an application to regularly,  
> and on an ongoing basis, determine if registrars maintain port 43  
> Whois service for public use. ICANN’s new application is being used  
> to conduct a Registrar Whois Accessibility Audit.
>
> After obtaining gTLD names from VeriSign, ICANN selected up to five  
> (5) domain names from each unique registrar in the VeriSign Whois  
> database. [1] ICANN used the domain names selected to query the  
> Whois servers of 850 registrars to determine if the registrars were  
> providing free port 43 Whois service as required by the RAA.  
> Responses to ICANN’s queries were divided into five (5) categories.  
> [2] The first query revealed that 745 registrars returned “good”  
> responses indicating that the Whois service for those 745  
> registrars was available to the public at the time of the query.  
> ICANN is examining the responses that were not returned “good” and  
> where appropriate, informing registrars of port 43 Whois service  
> violations. To monitor whether registrars’ port 43 Whois services  
> are functioning in conformance with RAA requirements, ICANN will  
> commence regular, weekly queries and inform registrars when port 43  
> Whois service violations are observed. A report regarding the  
> Registrar Whois Accessibility Audit will be published in February  
> 2008.
> -- 
> Glen de Saint Géry
> GNSO Secretariat - ICANN
> gnso.secretariat[at]gnso.icann.org
> http://gnso.icann.org




IP JUSTICE
Robin Gross, Executive Director
1192 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA  94117  USA
p: +1-415-553-6261    f: +1-415-462-6451
w: http://www.ipjustice.org     e: robin at ipjustice.org



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