Whois/privacy and the SSAD

[Mueller, Milton L]

Greetings all and happy new year.
As one of your representatives on the EPDP dealing with Whois and privacy, I want to inform you of the latest development.

You will remember that a lot of sensitive domain name registration data is now redacted (hidden), because ICANN had to come into compliance with GDPR. The SSAD (Standardized System of Access and Disclosure) was an elaborate mechanism developed by the EPDP to allow people who want to see the hidden data to request its disclosure. The proposed SSAD had an elaborate mechanism for accrediting users of the system, including a process for each national government to accredit its own law enforcement and government agencies.

ICANN Org has done a study of the costs of the proposed SSAD and estimates that it will be very expensive and will take a long time to implement. The ICANN board has indicated that it may not approve the SSAD recommendation because of these problems.

So now we are faced with a question about what to do next.

There are basically two options being presented to us:

  1.  Let the ICANN Board formally refuse to adopt the recommendation, tell us what's wrong with it, and then let the Council and the EPDP adopt a supplemental recommendation that fixes the problems
  2.  Re-convene the EPDP and work out its own modification of the recommendation.

I've attached a more detailed analysis of the options that the ICANN staff circulated today. I have my own opinion about this - I think the SSAD does need to be simplified and agree with the staff's concerns about its complexity and cost. But I am not sure what is the best way procedurally to fix this problem. Hope we can discuss this as a SG and reach a unified position.

Cheers,


Dr Milton L Mueller, Professor

School of Public Policy

Georgia Institute of Technology

Internet Governance Project<https://internetgovernance.org>

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