[council] GNSO Privacy & Proxy Services Accreditation Issues Working Group Initial Report

[Glen de Saint Géry <Glen@xxxxxxxxx>]

https://www.icann.org/public-comments/ppsai-initial-2015-05-05-en
GNSO Privacy & Proxy Services Accreditation Issues Working Group Initial Report
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Updates<https://www.icann.org/users/sign_up?document_id=13453&following=true>

Open Date: 5 May 2015 23:59 UTC
Close Date: 7 Jul 2015 23:59 UTC
Staff Report Due: 21 Jul 2015 23:59 UTC
Comments close in 63 Days

Contents

  *   Brief 
Overview<https://www.icann.org/public-comments/ppsai-initial-2015-05-05-en#brief>
     *   Submit Comment to 
Forum<mailto:comments-ppsai-initial-05may15@xxxxxxxxx>
     *   Comments 
Forum<http://forum.icann.org/lists/comments-ppsai-initial-05may15/>
  *   Section I: Description, Explanation & 
Purpose<https://www.icann.org/public-comments/ppsai-initial-2015-05-05-en#section1>
  *   Section II: 
Background<https://www.icann.org/public-comments/ppsai-initial-2015-05-05-en#section2>
  *   Section III: Relevant 
Resources<https://www.icann.org/public-comments/ppsai-initial-2015-05-05-en#section3>
  *   Section IV: Additional 
Information<https://www.icann.org/public-comments/ppsai-initial-2015-05-05-en#section4>
  *   Section V: 
Reports<https://www.icann.org/public-comments/ppsai-initial-2015-05-05-en#section5>
  *   Staff 
Contact<https://www.icann.org/public-comments/ppsai-initial-2015-05-05-en#staff_contact>

Brief Overview

This public comment proceeding is being opened in order to obtain community 
input on the Initial Report from the GNSO's Policy Development Process Working 
Group on issues relating to the accreditation of privacy and proxy service 
providers. ICANN has committed to developing and implementing an accreditation 
program for privacy and proxy service providers. The 2013 Registrar 
Accreditation Agreement contains an interim Specification providing for certain 
minimum requirements relating to the provision of privacy and proxy services. 
This interim Specification is due to expire on 1 January 2017 or the 
implementation of ICANN's accreditation program, whichever first occurs. Public 
comments on the Initial Report may be provided directly to the Public Comment 
Forum. In case commenters find it more convenient to use a structured format 
for their responses, a template has also been 
provided<https://s.zoomerang.com/s/VTLNGF5>. However, comments that do not use 
the template are also very welcome.

Section I: Description, Explanation, and Purpose

This Working Group was tasked to provide the GNSO Council with "policy 
recommendations regarding the issues identified during the 2013 RAA 
negotiations, including recommendations made by law enforcement and GNSO 
working groups, that were not addressed during the 2013 RAA negotiations and 
otherwise suited for a PDP; specifically, issues relating to the accreditation 
of Privacy & Proxy Services." The Registrar Accreditation Agreement (RAA) is 
the contract that governs the relationship between ICANN and its accredited 
registrars (a directory of accredited registrars can be found at 
http://www.internic.net/regist.html). Its provisions also may have impacts on 
registrants and other third parties involved in the domain name system. In June 
2013, the ICANN Board approved a new 2013 RAA (the provisions of which can be 
found at 
http://www.icann.org/en/resources/registrars/raa/approved-with-specs-27jun13-en.pdf<https://www.icann.org/en/resources/registrars/raa/approved-with-specs-27jun13-en.pdf>
 [PDF, 913 KB]).

In initiating negotiations for the 2013 RAA with the Registrars Stakeholder 
Group in October 2011, the ICANN Board had also requested an Issue Report from 
the GNSO that, upon the conclusion of the RAA negotiations, would start a GNSO 
Policy Development Process (PDP) to address remaining issues not dealt with in 
the RAA negotiations that would be suited to a PDP. The GNSO Council approved 
the charter for this effort at its meeting on 31 October 2013 and a Working 
Group (WG) was formed. The outcome of this PDP will guide ICANN's 
implementation of the planned accreditation program for privacy and proxy 
service providers, as the current Interim Specification relating to privacy and 
proxy services in the 2013 RAA is set to expire on 1 January 2017.

The WG's charter contains 19 specific questions for the WG, derived from the 
Staff Paper that was published in September 2013 summarizing the outcome of the 
2013 RAA negotiations, and several additional questions covering additional, 
related topics. The Charter questions cover issues including registration and 
maintenance of a privacy/proxy service, provider contactability and 
responsiveness, de-accreditation and topics that have been of longstanding 
discussion amongst the ICANN community, including provider obligations in 
relation to "relay" and "reveal" procedures to handle requests for the 
disclosure of a privacy/proxy customer's identity and contact details.

The WG's preliminary recommendations cover all aspects of its Chartered 
questions, and include specific recommendations concerning "relay and "reveal". 
Some of these preliminary recommendations cover only certain aspects of a 
Charter topic, with the WG yet to reach consensus on the remaining aspects and 
open questions. In some instances, a preliminary recommendation or an open 
question may include bracketed language indicating alternative versions still 
under consideration by the WG and for which they would particularly welcome 
community input.

Following analysis of all public comments received, the WG will finalize its 
recommendations and prepare a Final Report for delivery to the GNSO Council, 
for its review and action.

Section II: Background

The Working Group (WG) commenced its work in December 2013 through weekly 
teleconference meetings, discussions on its mailing 
list<http://mm.icann.org/pipermail/gnso-ppsai-pdp-wg/> and face-to-face 
sessions involving the broader community at ICANN Public Meetings. In addition, 
the WG was selected by the GNSO Council to participate in a pilot face-to-face 
full-day session, assisted by a community facilitator, immediately prior to the 
ICANN Public Meeting in Los Angeles in October 2014. It also received briefings 
from ICANN's Registrar Services Department and feedback from ICANN's Compliance 
Department, as well as responses to its solicitations for ICANN community input 
on its Chartered tasks from the GNSO's Business, Intellectual Property and 
Internet Service & Connectivity Providers constituencies and the Non-Commercial 
Stakeholder Group, and ICANN's At-Large Advisory Committee.

The WG has developed preliminary recommendations for a number of the charter 
questions it was tasked to address, which are described in its Initial 
Report<http://gnso.icann.org/en/issues/raa/ppsai-initial-05may15-en.pdf> [PDF, 
1.3 MB]. The Initial Report also contains several open questions on which the 
WG has yet to reach consensus as well as a number of alternative formulations 
for certain proposals. Community feedback is therefore sought on the 
preliminary recommendations, open questions and alternative formulations. The 
WG will review all public comments received as part of its preparations of its 
Final Report for delivery to and vote by the GNSO Council.

Section III: Relevant Resources

  *   Working Group Initial 
Report<http://gnso.icann.org/en/issues/raa/ppsai-initial-05may15-en.pdf> [PDF, 
1.3 MB]
  *   Template for Responses (if desired)<https://s.zoomerang.com/s/VTLNGF5>
  *   Working Group Charter<https://community.icann.org/x/pCifAg>
  *   Working Group wiki space<https://community.icann.org/x/9iCfAg>

Section IV: Additional Information : N/A
Section V: Reports
Staff Contact : Mary Wong
policy-staff@xxxxxxxxx<mailto:policy-staff@xxxxxxxxx>


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