This is the collaborative work space for the Policy Implementation Team for the gTLD Registration Data Policy Implementation project. We refer to this project as RegDataPolicy and do not use an acronym. This is the policy implementation for what is often referred to as the EPDP Phase 1. 

Project Status

The Registration Data Policy was published on 21 February 2024.

• ICANN: Announcement ICANN Publishes Registration Data Policy
• Blog Post by Sally Costerton: ICANN Milestone: Registration Data Policy - EPDP Phase 1 Published

• Registration Data Policy – Implementation Resources

Background

On 17 May 2018, the ICANN Board adopted the Temporary Specification for gTLD Registration Data. The Temporary Specification modified existing requirements in the Registrar Accreditation and Registry Agreements to comply with the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In accordance with the ICANN Bylaws and the Consensus Policies and Temporary Policies specifications in the Registry Agreement (RA) and Registry-Registrar Agreement (RAA), the Temporary Specification can only remain in force for up to one year from the effective date of 25 May 2018.

On 19 July 2018, the Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) Council initiated an Expedited Policy Development Process (EPDP) to be developed in two phases, and chartered the EPDP on the Temporary Specification for gTLD Registration Data Team. During Phase 1 of its work, the EPDP Team was tasked with determining if the Temporary Specification for gTLD Registration Data should become an ICANN Consensus Policy as is, or with modifications. In addition, the charter directed that the result must comply with the GDPR and take into account other relevant privacy and data protection laws. The purpose of Phase 2 of the EPDP Team's charter was to evaluate a System for Standardized Access/Disclosure of non-public gTLD Registration Data, address issues noted in the Annex to the Temporary Specification, and address other issues deferred from Phase 1.

On 21 November 2018, the EPDP Team published its Phase 1 Initial Report for public comment. The Initial Report contained the EPDP Team's preliminary recommendations and a set of questions for public comment. The EPDP Team also examined and made recommendations about: (i) the validity, legitimacy and legal basis of the purposes outlined in the Temporary Specification, (ii) the legitimacy, necessity and scope of (x) the registrar collection of registration data and (y) the transfer of data from registrars to registries, each as outlined in the Temporary Specification, and (iii) the publication of registration data by registrars and registries as outlined in the Temporary Specification.

The GNSO Council adopted the Final Report on 4 March 2019. ICANN org commenced a public comment period on the Final Report on 4 March 2019. The public comment proceeding sought to obtain community input prior to Board action on the final policy recommendations of the GNSO EPDP on the Temporary Specification for gTLD Registration Data. The Summary and Analysis report for the public comment was published on 23 April 2019. The Board resolved to adopt the recommendations, with some exceptions, on 15 May 2019.

A Consensus Policy Implementation Team was formed to begin work on the implementation plan. An Implementation Review Team (IRT) consisting of members of the PDP Working Group and interested community members was also formed to work with the Consensus Policy Implementation Team in line with the Consensus Policy Implementation Framework (CPIF) developed by ICANN's Global Domains Division and adopted by the GNSO Council.

Working in advance of the Board resolution, the implementation team produced the concept of three stages of the policy implementation. 

• Stage 1: Continue to implement measures consistent with the Temporary Specification for gTLD Registration Data that expires on 25 May 2019. This is an Interim Registration Data Policy while the permanent policy is prepared and published based on the recommendations,
• Stage 2: This stage will begin after the ICANN organization publishes a Registration Data Policy as a Consensus Policy and formally notifies the contracted parties. During this stage, contracted parties may implement the Interim Policy, the Registration Data Policy, or elements of both as they prepare for the effective date of the Registration Data Policy. 
• Stage 3: Contracted parties must comply with the Registration Data Policy. 

On 17 May 2019, ICANN org published the Interim Registration Data Policy for gTLDs pursuant to the Board's 15 May 2019 resolution. The Interim Policy effective as of 20 May 2019 requires contracted parties to continue to implement measures consistent with the Temporary Specification for gTLD Registration Data, which expired on 25 May 2019. 

The EPDP Team completed the Phase 2 of their work and published the final report consisting of four recommendations termed EPDP Phase 2 Priority 2  recommendations.  On 21 June 2021, the Board adopted the Recommendations 19-22 and the implementations of these recommendations were added to the Registration Data Policy Implementation work scope. On 24 February 2022, the Board adopted the GNSO Council's Supplemental Recommendation for EPDP Recommendation 12, concerning the deletion of data in the Organization field as it addresses the Board's overarching concern of loss of essential data.

If you are interested joining the IRT, please follow the direction in the "call for IRT."

If you would like to be added as an observer to the email list, please email andrea.glandon@icann.org