SSAC Comments on the GNSO New gTLD Subsequent Procedures Draft Final Report (R1)
| Date Issued | Document | Reference ID | Current Phase |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSAC Comments on the GNSO New gTLD Subsequent Procedures Draft Final Report (R1) | SAC114 | Phase 2 | Understand Request |
Description:
The SSAC recommends that the ICANN Board initiate a fundamental review to determine whether continuing to increase the number of gTLDs is consistent with ICANN’s strategic objective to “evolve the unique identifier systems in coordination and collaboration with relevant parties to continue to serve the needs of the global Internet user base.” This review should be considered an input towards updating ICANN’s strategic goals in conjunction with implementing the CCT Review Team’s recommendations. Such a fundamental review should include at least the following areas of study based on prior rounds of the New gTLD program:
- Impacts on root server operations
- Impacts on SSR issues
- Impacts on overall DNS operations
- Analysis of how all metrics for success were met
- Risk analysis
STATUS UPDATES
| Date | Phase | Type | Status Updates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 2 | Phase Update | The ICANN Board and org continue to review this advice. In March 2023, the SSAC submitted additional responses to the Board’s clarifying questions, which the ICANN Board and org will review. |
| Phase 2 | AP Feedback | SSAC Response to Clarifying Question 1: Our advice to initiate a fundamental review was intended to examine past and present rounds of new gTLDs. Information and insight gleaned from these examinations would inform future rounds of new gTLDs and the development of an overall strategy for further namespace expansions. Rec 1 intends to prompt the Board to study the past and Rec 2 prompts the Board to set expectations for the future. SSAC Response to Clarifying Question 2: Implementing the SSAC’s advice in SAC114 for a fundamental review (Rec 1) in concert with stated goals and thresholds for the new gTLD program (Rec 2) could uncover gaps in previous studies with respect to monitoring. While volunteer and commercial monitoring of parts of the DNS infrastructure exists (e.g., RIPE ATLAS, ThousandEyes), it does not appear we have the ability to view these various monitoring efforts holistically and see how the broader DNS ecosystem is functioning. Once gaps are understood, monitoring of the DNS ecosystem could be updated to address them. With sufficient monitoring in place, many changes or disruptions to the DNS ecosystem could be observed and addressed. In order to address disruptions as they are observed, the fundamental review should strive to develop standards and policies for response practices. SSAC Response to Clarifying Question 3: The SSAC believes these are important questions to guide a review or study as described in Recommendation 1. At this time, the SSAC has no additional gap analysis or specific research questions to add beyond what is already in SAC114 and its referenced materials. Soliciting broad community input in answering these two questions might be an appropriate initial step of the recommended review. SSAC and/or its members could participate in this broader community process. |
| Phase 2 | Phase Update | The org received answers from SSAC to clarifying questions for Recommendations 2-4 on 18 November. The org will finalize the Statement of Understanding after receiving the rest of responses from SSAC. |
| Phase 2 | AP Feedback | The SSAC is reviewing these clarifying questions and will provide a response in the near future. Please leave on Action Required tab. |
| Phase 2 | Clarifying Question | Regarding Recommendation 1, the Board notes in the Addendum to SAC114 published by the SSAC that the SSAC states “The SSAC is particularly concerned that the strategic goal to ‘support the continued evolution of the Internet’s unique identifier systems with a new round of gTLDs that is responsibly funded, managed, risk-evaluated, and consistent with ICANN processes’ has not been sufficiently accomplished in terms of risk evaluation at this time. Further, without adequate learning from the previous round, we don’t have an understanding of how this strategic goal actually achieves its larger objective to ‘evolve the unique identifier systems in coordination and collaboration with relevant parties to continue to serve the needs of the global Internet user base.’” QUESTION 1: In light of this, the Board wishes to clarify whether the “fundamental review” noted in Recommendation 1 is intended to examine the past, present, or future rounds of new gTLDs? | |
| Phase 2 | Clarifying Question | The Board notes that the community undertook a number of reviews of the 2012 round, including: Impact on root-server system; Competition, Consumer Trust & Consumer Choice; Rights Protection Mechanisms; Program Implementation; DNS Abuse; and the Trademark Clearinghouse Independent Review. In addition, the multistakeholder SubPro PDP working group took into account review of a number of areas of the 2012 process in the course of its work. QUESTION 2: Can the SSAC identify the gaps or areas it believes the previous reviews did not adequately cover? | |
| Phase 2 | Clarifying Question | The Board wishes to clarify what the intended scope of this fundamental review should be. The Addendum references DNS abuse and root zone expansion but also “impacts on SSR issues,” “impacts on overall DNS operations,” and “risk analysis.” QUESTION 3: Due to the broad scope of these categories, for each recommended area of study, could the SSAC provide several specific research questions that the Org could base such a study on? | |
| Phase 2 | AP Feedback | SSAC issued the addendum to SAC114 in February 2022 and requested that the ICANN org formally take SAC114 recommendations out of their deferred state in the Action Request Register and proceed with the consideration process. Is there an expected timeframe for the statements of understanding for SAC114? | |
| Phase 2 | Phase Update | The SSAC provided an addendum to SAC114 (https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/sac-114-addendum-en.pdf). ICANN is currently reviewing SAC114 and the addendum. | |
| Phase 2 | AP Feedback | The SSAC published Addendum to SAC114: Additional Context for Recommendation 1, Recommendation 3, Recommendation 7, and Additional References <https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/sac-114-addendum-en.pdf> The SSAC appreciates this opportunity to address concerns raised by the ICANN Board and community and further clarify the intent of recommendations in SAC114. The SSAC requests that the ICANN org formally take SAC114 recommendations out of their deferred state in the Action Request Register and proceed with the consideration process. | |
| Phase 2 | AP Feedback | The SSAC is currently reviewing SAC114 as a result of community feedback since publication of SAC114. While it is conducting its review, SSAC requests that ICANN org pause its consideration of SAC114. |
| Phase 2 | Phase Change | Now in Phase 2: Understand |
| Phase 1 | Phase Update | ICANN org thanked the SSAC for their feedback and apologized for the misunderstanding. SAC114: SSAC Comments on the GNSO New gTLD Subsequent Procedures Draft Final Report is now in process. |
| Phase 1 | AP Feedback | The SSAC Admin Committee disagreed with the org's understanding: While the public comment process prompted the SSAC’s initial work on SAC114, due to time constraints the SSAC chose not to submit its comment through the Working Group’s Public Comment process. Instead, the SSAC analyzed the Draft Final Report and larger issues it raises with respect to continued allocation of the DNS namespace holistically and prepared this comment, and the recommendations within it, to the ICANN Board for consideration through the normal ARR process. |
| Phase 1 | Phase Update | ICANN is in receipt of SAC114: SSAC Comments on the GNSO New gTLD Subsequent Procedures Draft Final Report (https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/sac-114-en.pdf) The ICANN org understands that this statement is the [ADVICE] SAC114: SSAC Comments on the GNSO New gTLD Subsequent Procedures Draft Final Report. As this item will be considered via the Public Comment process, there is no action for the ICANN Board, and the item will be considered closed. |
| Phase 1 | Phase Update | SSAC published SAC114: SSAC Comments on the GNSO New gTLD Subsequent Procedures Draft Final Report Link: https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/sac-114-en.pdf. |
