Often times these kinds of registration requirements for NGOs are ways of harassing them because they may be critical of the government. I know that India and Russia also treat NGOs with suspicion and can use this kind of leverage to punish them if they become too much of a thorn in the government's side. By conditioning the right of domain name ownership to such things, ICANN raises the same danger. > -----Original Message----- > From: NCSG-Discuss [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf > Of Sam Lanfranco > Sent: Saturday, July 5, 2014 8:00 AM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: [NCSG-Discuss] Fwd: [] Fwd: A million domains taken down by > email checks > > I would like to add a comment to flag the problems around maintaining > adequate domain name registration data, this in the case of ICANN’s > targeted support for the Internet in Africa, and NCSG’s focus on the not-for- > profit sector. > > Consider South Africa, by ordinary measures the most developed country in > Africa. Earlier this year the government de-registered over 300 South African > NGO’s and put an equal number on alert that they are about to lose their > registration. Without registration the NGO cannot even own a bank account. > The reason: failure to keep their required document filings up to date. If they > own a domain name (gTLD or ccTLD) there is a high probability that they are > not even aware of those registration data obligations and a high likelihood > that they won’t keep that data current. > > As well, think of the nightmare that will arise for registrars, et. al. > if the civil society groups that are de-listed have one of the new domain > names where registered status is a requirement. Any policy that carries > requirements should not be based on the ideal situation, and should take > seriously subjecting itself to stress testing. As well, there is scope for > enlightened or unenlightened government policy here on the continued > ownership of particular gTLD domain names. If, for example, .ngo means a > registered NGO and registration is lost, who will be empowered, or obliged, > to act? > > Sam L.