Hi all - We need lots of comments - please submit your own and forward far and wide! :) Thank you, Frannie ----------------------------------------------------- - TAKE ACTION - -- Your comments are needed in order to protect privacy on the Internet -- Comment to ICANN on WHOIS policy preliminary reports -- Deadline for comment is June 17th - just one week away -- We've made commenting easy at http://www.thepublicvoice.org/take_action/default.html -- Please send any questions to [log in to unmask] ----------------------------------------------------- [6/09/04] Dear Friends, For just one week longer, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) will accept public comment on its reports issued on WHOIS policy changes. The WHOIS database is a public directory of domain registrant data available and searchable online. Currently, registrants must enter information as personal as name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address in addition to technical contact information, all of which can be found on the public WHOIS database. There are ICANN three task forces (access to WHOIS, data required for WHOIS, and accuracy requirements for WHOIS) which have each issued preliminary reports and each require public comment. Not one public comment has been submitted so far. Please don't let this opportunity pass by. Help shape WHOIS policy in the interest of privacy and civil liberties protections. The policy developed for the WHOIS database could have a significant impact on privacy, civil liberties, and freedom of expression for Internet users. The WHOIS database broadly exposes domain registrants' personal data to a global audience, including criminals and spammers. We believe that ICANN should work to ensure that network administrators have access to accurate information so they can contact domain registrants for technical purposes. However, this action also requires the establishment of corresponding privacy safeguards, including reduced access and minimal data requirements, to encourage the submission of accurate data. In addition, users of domain names have a legitimate expectation of privacy and right to free speech, which should be protected. We have created a web page to make it easy for you to submit comments. It has information about WHOIS, including the Preliminary Reports for each task force and the opinion of the Non-Commercial Users Constituency (the non-profit/NGO representatives to ICANN) for each task force. We've posted the e-mail addresses for comment submission as well as NCUC contacts for those who have questions. As many people don't have time to be engrossed in this process, we've also posted suggestions for key points to express to each task force to make commenting easier. However, please put these ideas in your own words. We need ICANN to hear your opinions to show that people care about strong privacy safeguards based on internationally accepted standards, and require their integration into WHOIS policy. Domain registrants should not be required to submit extensive data that could lead to fraud victimization or political persecution. We would sincerely appreciate it if you would submit comments to ICANN on each of these three task forces. Just go to http://www.thepublicvoice.org/take_action/default.html to find out more and to submit comments. Thank you for your help with this. Frannie Wellings <[log in to unmask]> Marc Rotenberg <[log in to unmask]> -- ----------------------------------------------------------------- Frannie Wellings Policy Analyst, Electronic Privacy Information Center Coordinator, The Public Voice 1718 Connecticut Ave. N.W., Suite 200 Washington, D.C. 20009 USA [log in to unmask] +1 202 483 1140 extension 107 (telephone) +1 202 483 1248 (fax) http://www.epic.org http://www.thepublicvoice.org -----------------------------------------------------------------