[council] WHOIS Privacy Proxy Services Questionnaire (Available Until 28 February 2014)

[Glen de Saint Géry <Glen@xxxxxxxxx>]

https://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-2-05feb14-en.htm
WHOIS Privacy Proxy Services Questionnaire (Available Until 28 February 2014)
5 February 2014

The Expert Working Group on gTLD Directory Services (EWG) is seeking 
information from Privacy and Proxy (P/P) Service Providers on existing 
practices to inform its deliberations as it develops recommendations on best 
practices for the proposed Next Generation Registration Directory Service (RDS) 
to replace today's Whois system. The Questionnaire will be used to understand 
current P/P Provider practices and will be made available until 28 February 
2014.

Questionnaire attributes:

 *   Questionnaire Availability Date: 31 January 2014
 *   Questionnaire Address: 
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Privacy_and_Proxy_Services_Survey
 *   Questionnaire Close Date: 28 February 2014, 23:59 UTC
 *   Questionnaire Language: English only

All questions can be downloaded in PDF 
form<https://community.icann.org/download/attachments/45744698/PP_EWG_Survey.pdf?version=1&modificationDate=1391125472409&api=v2>
 [PDF, 281 KB] for offline review, with answers submitted either via email to 
PP-EWG-Survey@xxxxxxxxx<mailto:PP-EWG-Survey@xxxxxxxxx> or submitting answers 
online.

The EWG greatly appreciates any insights on this topic from those P/P Providers 
interested in sharing information about their current practices. The individual 
responses will be used only to understand current P/P Provider practices and 
will not be published by the EWG, unless the P/P Provider requests that its 
individual response be disclosed. The EWG plans to publish a summary of 
anonymized, aggregated results for ICANN community use in considering future 
policy recommendations, and will be shared with the GNSO PDP Working Group on 
Privacy/Proxy Service Accreditation Issues.

Background

In December 2012, ICANN announced the creation of an Expert Working Group (EWG) 
on next-generation gTLD Registration Directory Services, as a first step in 
fulfilling the ICANN Board's directive to help redefine the purpose and 
provision of gTLD registration data. The EWG's findings are expected to serve 
as a foundation to help the GNSO create a new global policy for the provision 
of gTLD registration data.

A significant milestone was reached on 24 June 
2013<https://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-3-24jun13-en.htm> 
with the publication 
<https://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-3-24jun13-en.htm> of 
the Expert Working Group on gTLD Directory 
Services<https://www.icann.org/en/groups/other/gtld-directory-services> (EWG)'s 
Initial Report and FAQs, opening a consultation period with the ICANN 
community. The Initial 
Report<https://www.icann.org/en/groups/other/gtld-directory-services/initial-report-24jun13-en.pdf>
 [PDF, 1.70 MB] enumerated the users, purposes, data elements, recommended 
principles and features, and proposed model to guide the development of a next 
generation Registration Directory Service (RDS) to replace WHOIS.

Prior to the ICANN Meeting in Buenos Aires, the EWG published its Status Update 
Report<https://www.icann.org/en/groups/other/gtld-directory-services/status-update-11nov13-en.pdf>
 [PDF, 2.26 MB] to highlight the EWG's thinking on these and many other key 
issues. It also provides a great deal more detail on the analysis that lay 
behind the Initial 
Report<https://www.icann.org/en/groups/other/gtld-directory-services/initial-report-24jun13-en.pdf>
 [PDF, 1.70 MB].

The EWG is currently in its research and information gathering phase. This 
Questionnaire is one of several research efforts that the EWG is currently 
undertaking to ensure that its final recommendations are supported by facts and 
informed by current practices.

What's Next?

The EWG expects to complete its recommendations in 2014, informed by Community 
feedback and in-depth analysis of selected areas, including the responses to 
this Questionnaire. The EWG plans to reconvene in March 2014 to derive 
fact-based recommendations after carefully examining the results of its 
research, and expects to deliver its final report to the ICANN Board by June 
2014.

Questions

If questions arise about the Questionnaire or the online tool, please contact 
Margie Milam at PP-EWG-Survey@xxxxxxxxx<mailto:PP-EWG-Survey@xxxxxxxxx>.


Glen de Saint Géry
GNSO Secretariat
gnso.secretariat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://gnso.icann.org