Page History

Joanna Kulesza is currently serving as the ALAC Liaison the GAC. She was selected by the ALAC in October 2021 and took on the role on Thursday, 28 October 2021 at the end of the ICANN72 AGM. Yrjö Länsipuro previously served in this role since 2016 when the ALAC unanimously voted to appoint him as the first ALAC Liaison to the GAC.

GAC Liaison's Report: GAC Discussion on WHOIS and Preparation for ICANN Board Meeting [by Joanna Kulesza]

Accompanying slides https://gac.icann.org/sessions/icann77-session-3-gac-discussion-on-whois-and-data-protection-policy-incl-accuracy

The session highlighted the significance of WHOIS data in various legitimate activities, including assisting law enforcement, combating fraud, protecting intellectual property, and maintaining user confidence in the Internet. The speakers at the session included Christopher Lewis-Evans from the United Kingdom's National Crime Agency, Kenneth Merrill from the U.S. Department of Commerce NTIA, Laureen Kapin from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, and Melina Stroungi from European Commission. These speakers stressed the importance of WHOIS data for government agencies, businesses, and organizations involved in protecting public safety and combating illicit activities. One crucial aspect emphasized during the session was the need to strike a balance between protecting the public and safeguarding privacy. Data protection laws, particularly those in the European Union and other jurisdictions, were recognized as essential for achieving this balance. Such laws enable access to relevant information while respecting individuals' privacy rights. The discussion referred back to the GAC Principles Regarding gTLD WHOIS Services from 2007, demonstrating that the issues discussed then are still relevant in 2023. The session emphasized the continued importance of WHOIS data and the need to ensure its accessibility for those lawfully entitled to access it. The GAC raised concerns about the proposed implementation of Phase 1 recommendations for WHOIS services. These concerns included defining urgent requests and establishing timelines, collecting and publishing reseller data, handling registration information related to legal entities, and determining qualifiers for redacted data. The GAC called for greater clarity and standardized practices in these areas. ICANN responded to public comments, providing clarification on several aspects of the proposed policy. They addressed concerns about the timeline for responding to urgent requests, the collection and publication of reseller data, the impact on Thick WHOIS, and the policy gap between Phase 1 and Phase 2A. They emphasized that the recommendations made during the EPDP Phase 1 were thoroughly considered, and making additional changes beyond the policy's scope was not necessary. The report concluded by noting that the Implementation Review Team (IRT) is currently reviewing ICANN's response, including during ICANN77. The ongoing discussions and considerations surrounding WHOIS data and its role in protecting public interests and privacy will continue to shape ICANN's policies and approaches.

GAC Liaison's Report on Joint Session: ALAC, GAC, and GNSO Facilitated Dialogue on Closed Generics held on June 12th, at ICANN 77 [by Joanna Kulesza]

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