<html class="apple-mail-supports-explicit-dark-mode"><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"></div><div dir="ltr"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-width: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: 20px;"><font face="Arial">I think this is precisely where we should draw a clear line in this discussion.</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-width: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 20px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;">Establishing that the action was taken at the registry level does not require any particularly sophisticated technical analysis.</span></span></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-width: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 20px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"> The </span><span style="font-kerning: none;">serverHold</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> status is explicitly visible in the public RDAP registration data for <a href="http://autistici.org/"><span style="font-kerning: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 238);">autistici.org</span></a>. </span></span></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-width: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 20px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;">ICANN documentation explains that </span><span style="font-kerning: none;">serverHold</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> is set by the Registry Operator, and IANA identifies PIR as the registry operator for .ORG.</span></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-width: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: 20px;"><font face="Arial">In other words, anyone with a basic working knowledge of DNS and domain registration can establish the relevant chain:</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-width: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 20px;"><span style="text-decoration-line: underline; font-kerning: none; color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 238);"><a href="http://autistici.org/">autistici.org</a></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> → </span><span style="font-kerning: none;">serverHold</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> → registry-level status → .ORG registry = PIR.</span></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-width: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 20px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;">Additional DNS queries can confirm the technical effects of that status, but they do not tell us why PIR acted, whether PIR received a specific instruction from a US authority, what legal obligation PIR considered applicable, why </span><span style="font-kerning: none;">serverHold</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> was selected, or what process was followed.</span></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-width: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: 20px;"><font face="Arial">Those are precisely the questions that require serious technical, legal and governance analysis.</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-width: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: 20px;"><font face="Arial">This is why I find it counterproductive to rely on a blog post that combines relatively straightforward and independently verifiable technical observations with strong and inflammatory political characterizations that do not follow from those observations. It unnecessarily introduces political positions into an issue that we should be examining on the basis of evidence, applicable law, contracts, policies and authoritative technical sources.</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-width: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: 20px;"><font face="Arial">We have primary and authoritative sources available: OFAC and the applicable US legal framework for what the US Government actually did; PIR’s policies and contractual framework for its powers and procedures; ICANN and IANA for the registry framework and technical facts; and PIR itself for an explanation of the basis and process behind its action.</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-width: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 20px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;">I believe our discussion should focus on what remains unanswered: </span><span style="font-kerning: none;">What exactly required PIR to act? Was </span><span style="font-kerning: none;">serverHold</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> specifically required or was it PIR’s implementation choice? What process was followed? What transparency, notice and review mechanisms apply? And who can formally request clarification or review?</span></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-width: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: 20px;"><font face="Arial">Answering those questions can lead to meaningful recommendations and concrete action on process and transparency. Political characterizations cannot.</font></span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-width: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: 20px;"><font face="Arial"><br></font></span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 12px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-width: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: 20px;"><font face="Arial">Carlos </font></span></p></div><div dir="ltr"><br><blockquote type="cite">El ago 29, 2026, a la(s) 16:06, farzaneh badii <farzaneh.badii@gmail.com> escribió:<br><br></blockquote></div><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="auto">I shared for his technical reasoning. Which is one of the clearest one I have seen that provides evidence that PIR has taken action. </div><div dir="auto">The blog also mentions that this is not the first in this year that PIR is doing this. </div><div dir="auto">Also this is not the first time that the registry gets involved. And the EU and other places are not free from these kinds of actions either. We need to think about processes and transparency when such actions are taken. </div></div><div><div><br clear="all"><br clear="all"><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><font face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Farzaneh </font></div></div></div></div></div><div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Sat, Aug 29, 2026 at 9:37 PM Carlos Vera <<a href="mailto:cveraq@gmail.com" target="_blank">cveraq@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"></div><div dir="ltr">Bortzmeyer repeatedly calls what happened "censorship" and makes very strong political statements against Trump and against the US prosecution. Those are the author's opinions, not the results of his technical analysis.</div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">Carlos Vera</div><div dir="ltr"><br><blockquote type="cite">El ago 29, 2026, a la(s) 14:16, farzaneh badii <<a href="mailto:00001deb507b73c5-dmarc-request@listserv.syr.edu" target="_blank">00001deb507b73c5-dmarc-request@listserv.syr.edu</a>> escribió:<br><br></blockquote></div><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr"></div></blockquote></div><div dir="auto"><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="auto">We need to demand more transparency in their processes and having to follow “the applicable law” doesn’t mean that 1) they have to just follow the order without consultation 2) provide no transparency whatsoever 3) this was not a court order, they need to provide at least an explanation. </div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Here is Stephane’s explanation of what happened <div style="font-size:inherit"><a href="https://www.bortzmeyer.org/autistici.html" style="font-size:inherit" target="_blank">https://www.bortzmeyer.org/autistici.html</a></div></div></div><div><div><br clear="all"><br clear="all"><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><font face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Farzaneh </font></div></div></div></div></div><div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Sat, Aug 29, 2026 at 7:45 PM Kenechukwu Okekenta <<a href="mailto:00002122db04c5e1-dmarc-request@listserv.syr.edu" target="_blank">00002122db04c5e1-dmarc-request@listserv.syr.edu</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir="auto"><div>Thank you for sharing, Niels. </div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">It was quite informative and eye-opening. </div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Regards. </div><div><br></div><div data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div style="font-size:12.8px"><b><span style="color:rgb(39,78,19)">Engr. Kenechukwu Okekenta fNSIG</span></b><br></div><div style="font-size:12.8px"><b>IT </b><b style="font-size:12.8px">Project Coordinator, </b><b style="font-size:12.8px">Support Specialist, </b><span style="font-size:small"><b>Security Analyst,</b> </span><b style="font-size:12.8px">Certified Data Privacy Expert and Educator</b></div><div style="font-size:12.8px"><b><a href="http://linkedin.com/in/kenechukwu-okekenta" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a><br></b></div></div></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Fri, Aug 28, 2026, 20:04 Kathy Kleiman <<a href="mailto:00001e85639e37fc-dmarc-request@listserv.syr.edu" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">00001e85639e37fc-dmarc-request@listserv.syr.edu</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">Hi Niels,<br>
<br>
Good to see you back. We don't have anyone on PIR's Advisory Board <br>
right now, but I am on the PIR Board. That of course means I am not <br>
involved with daily operations (although I was years ago). Let's discuss <br>
offline and get back to the group together.<br>
<br>
Best, Kathy<br>
<br>
On 8/28/2026 11:42 AM, Niels ten Oever wrote:<br>
> Hi all,<br>
><br>
> Who is currently our representative on the PIR board? It is quite <br>
> unsettling that PIR has taken away the .org registration from an <br>
> Italian NGO following Trump government's executive order.<br>
><br>
> <a href="https://sabotmedia.noblogs.org/the-server-called-paranoia-defend-autistici-inventati-before-september-25/" rel="noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">https://sabotmedia.noblogs.org/the-server-called-paranoia-defend-autistici-inventati-before-september-25/</a> <br>
><br>
><br>
> Best,<br>
><br>
> Niels<br>
><br>
><br>
-- <br>
Kathy Kleiman<br>
Past President, Domain Name Rights Coalition<br>
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