comments to Task Force developing guidelines for use of WHOIS data
I would like to submit the following comments to the task force developing guidelines for use of WHOIS database information. 1. I support the report's conclusion that there should be a distinction in the treatment of sensitive and non-sensitive data. Access to sensitive data, such as registrant's name, address, telephone number, and email address, should be more limited than access to non-sensitive data, such as technical contact name and contact information. 2. The discussion of "uses" of Whois data in Section III must also acknowledge the potential for "abuses" of the data. It should go into as much detail about abuse as use. Discussion of abuse should include but not be limited to the potential for abuse of contact information by criminals and spammers. 3. Domain name registrants should be notified when their sensitive data is accessed. They have a right to know who requested the data and what purpose it was requested for. 4. All requests for sensitive data should be made for each domain name on an individual basis, not in bulk, and for each request a legitimate purpose must be specified. Thank you for taking these comments into account, when making your report. Sincerely, Joe Landwehr |