GAC Public Safety Working Group (PSWG)

Work Efforts

At any given time, the GAC works to examine a range of issues related to the functions and responsibilities of ICANN. GAC Members use the information to develop policy positions within their own administrations and the GAC as a whole may try to reach a consensus position on particular matters. Having reached a consensus view, the GAC usually then provides advice to the ICANN Board. This section of the GAC website provides the GAC Working Group Members tools to manage their work, meetings, research and collaborative documents. It also provides an anthology of previous GAC work efforts related to each ICANN topic of interest, which is available to any user to review.

GAC WORKING GROUP PROCEDURES

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GAC Public Safety Working Group (PSWG)

Status: Active

Date Formed: 12 Feb 2015

The GAC's Public Safety Working Group (PSWG) focuses on aspects of ICANN’s policies and procedures that implicate the safety of the public.

The current strategic objectives of the PSWG, as detailed in its 2018-2019 work plan are as follows:

Develop DNS Abuse and Cybercrime mitigation capabilities of the ICANN and Law Enforcement communities
Preserve and improve domain registration directory services effectiveness
Build effective and resilient PSWG operations
Develop participation and in PSWG work and ensure stakeholder input

The PSWG was established in February 2015 at ICANN52 in Singapore (see section V.10. of GAC Communiqué) and its Terms of Reference were adopted in June 2015 at ICANN53 in Buenos Aires.

The PSWG is currently chaired by two co-chairs:

Cathrin Bauer-Bulst, European Commission
Laureen Kapin, United States Federal Trade Commission
Chris Lewis-Evans, United Kingdom, National Crime Agency

Reference

PSWG Operations

For more Working Group Documentation: see Ongoing Work or Documenation sections below.

Status and Ongoing Work

The Working Group is following its work plan, with a particular focus currently in the following areas:

Ensuring Law enforcement and public safety agencies do not go dark on whois data that would become hidden on 25 May 2015, including by:

Raising awareness in Law enforcement communities worldwide
Raising awareness in relevant parts of Governments (GAC Representation, Ministries of Justice and Interior)
Seeking arrangements and solutions to ensure Whois is not going dark