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ICANN Contractual Compliance and Consumer Safeguards
Issue
In order to achieve many of its public policy goals in the ICANN and DNS space, the GAC seeks to ensure that the Contractual Compliance and Consumer Safeguards functions of the ICANN organization are performing their task effectively.
Public Policy Interests at Stake
The Contractual Compliance and Consumer Safeguards functions of the ICANN organization are essential tools in meeting the public policy goals such as those usually targeted by the so-called New gTLD Safeguards:
- The preservation of the stability, security and resiliency of the DNS
- The mitigation of abuse of the DNS system to perpetrate security threats
- The promotion of competition, consumer trust and consumer choice
- The maintenance of timely, unrestricted and public access to accurate and complete WHOIS information (or Domain Registration Data)
Overview
Activities of the GAC in relation to ICANN’s Contractual Compliance and Consumer Safeguards functions generally stem from concerns with the effectiveness of New gTLD Safeguards, the Mitigation of DNS Abuse specifically, as well as any WHOIS Policy and WHOIS Accuracy related developments.
The GAC engages with the ICANN Contractual compliance on a regular basis, based on need identified by GAC Members or initiatives proposed by the ICANN organization. The current status and latest developments are reflected below.
Engagement with ICANN Contractual Compliance
The latest formal engagement between the GAC and the ICANN Contractual Compliance department occurred during the ICANN58 Meeting in Copenhagen on 15 March 2017 in the form briefing of the GAC.
Since then, in addition to the regular Compliance Program updates provided during certain ICANN meetings (ICANN60, ICANN61 and ICANN63), several Community updates were provided via ICANN’s blog by leaders of the Contractual Compliance department, touching on various topics:
- Purpose and overview of ongoing activities of the Contractual Compliance and Consumer Safeguards Departments ongoing Initiatives to facilitate a community-wide consumer safeguard discussion, boost DNS abuse mitigation efforts, and enhance transparency around contractual compliance (16 February 2017)
- Increased transparency around compliance reporting (16 October 2017)
On 8 November 2018, a blog provided an update on Contractual Compliance efforts related to addressing DNS Infrastructure Abuse.
Conversation on ICANN Consumer Safeguards
On 27 June 2017, the GAC met ICANN’s Consumer Safeguards Directors shortly after hiring during the ICANN59 meeting in Johannesburg and discussed the establishment of an informal community-wide discussion to build awareness and community understanding and Identify ways for the ICANN organization to strengthen its performance of the Contractual Compliance and Consumer Safeguards functions.
On 25 September 2017, ICANN hosted a webinar discussion on Contractual Compliance and Consumer Safeguards which was attended by nearly 100 community members. The webinar discussed a Summary of Safeguards under ICANN’s remit (11 September 2017). In a subsequent blog (11 October 2017) Community input was invited on questions raised during the webinar:
- What should ICANN's role be in addressing DNS abuse?
- Are there gaps between DNS abuse and ICANN's authority to address that abuse?
- What additional tools or data would be helpful in assessing DNS abuse?
- Are there areas where voluntary measures could be helpful?
- How should ICANN collaborate with other stakeholders addressing abuse?
- Is there a threat of governmental intervention if the ICANN community cannot satisfactorily address DNS abuse?
On 11 January 2019, representatives of ICANN’s Supporting Organizations and Advisory Committees (among which the GAC) met in Washington DC with the Contractual Compliance and Consumer Safeguards Department of ICANN to further discuss these matters towards a possible community-wide session during the ICANN64 meeting.