What is the Expert Working Group on gTLD Directory Services?
The Expert Working Group on gTLD Directory Services is first step in fulfilling the ICANN Board's directive to help redefine the purpose and provision of gTLD registration data will provide a foundation to help the ICANN community (through the Generic Names Supporting Organization, GNSO) create a new global policy for gTLD directory services. In June 2013, the EWG proposed a paradigm shift – a new system in which gTLD registration data is collected, validated and disclosed for permissible purposes only, with some data elements being accessible only to authenticated requestors that are then held accountable for appropriate use. The EWG's objective is to reexamine and define the purpose of collecting and maintaining gTLD directory data, consider how to safeguard the data, and propose a next generation solution that will better serve the needs of the global Internet community.