ICANN to change domain whois registrations

[tangor]

The days of pretending to be Mickey Mouse or Daffy Duck when you register a domain name could be numbered, following demands placed on ICANN by law enforcement agencies and governments.

ICANN is currently locked in contract talks with its accredited domain name registrars, and expects they will agree to make the verification of customer identities mandatory later this year.

If the rule changes go ahead, registrars such as Go Daddy and Network Solutions could be obliged to ensure that the Whois database records submitted by their customers are accurate.

[theregister.co.uk...]

[netmeg]

Can we agree that most internet sites are used for the purpose or represent a business?

If that is the case give me 1 good reason I would want to us a fake name and address on registering a business.

First of all, no, we can't agree on that, second of all, we're talking about registering DOMAINS and not businesses, and third of all "because I want to" is all the reason that should be necessary.

Honestly. People talk about too many regulations and losing privacy and then think this is okay? I don't get it.

[superclown2]

Honestly. People talk about too many regulations and losing privacy and then think this is okay? I don't get it.

Absolutely right. Governments and law enforcement offices like to control things, it is in their nature. The more power ICANN give to them, the more they will take.

Anyway, who decided that the police forces or governments of the USA and UK run the Internet? It's international, isn't it? So what happens if the Chinese or the Russians refuse to play ball?

[bwnbwn]

"because I want to"

Yea and 100 or so years ago it was legal to wear a gun in a bar but with more people more problems it was stopped. The net has grown the wild west days are over time to put the guns in the drawer.
About the same mentality. Frankly I sick and tired of the trash sites hurting my business because they can get away with whatever they feel, hell it is a throw away domain no connection to me so what. I am sick of this put your real name and address there and if you feel it is ok to still do this than so be it there will be a paper trail.
Still not a solid reason just some crap because I don't want to BS.

[numnum]

Quoting Brett:

>You ALREADY HAVE to use you're correct address information.

As other mentioned - no you don't. Most of the major registrars currently offer 'private registrations'. Obviously - all that will go away with the new rules.

My understanding of the proposed ICANN Registrar Accreditation Agreement (RAA) is that private registration will still be available, but in all likelihood at a higher price than registrants currently pay for privacy. And registrars may opt out of RAA verification altogether -- though they will undoubtedly pay a heavy toll in order to do so.

I'll suspend judgment here as to who should bear the additional costs associated with identity verification. What should be abundantly clear to everyone, however, is that the true RAA victims will be the adult oriented-TLD registrants. Imagine the indignation: you've been strong-armed into coughing up an extra $50 or so every year (in addition to the $79-$129 you pay for your domain name) just to keep under wraps the fact that your Christian name is not actually Candy Mountains.

[oodlum]

>You ALREADY HAVE to use you're correct address information.

As other mentioned - no you don't. Most of the major registrars currently offer 'private registrations'. Obviously - all that will go away with the new rules.

These are two separate things.

Yes, to legally purchase a domain you must currently provide accurate information, but can then choose to pay for the private registration service the registrar offers. How is it obvious that that would go away?

Here is an extract from a major registrar's legal agreement:

"You represent and warrant that you have provided current, complete, and accurate information in connection with your Registration Request or Reservation Request, and that you will correct and update this information to ensure that it remains current, complete, and accurate throughout the term of any resulting Registration or Reservation. Your obligation to provide current, accurate, and complete information is a material element of this Agreement Schedule, and the Registry reserves the right to immediately deny, cancel, terminate, suspend, lock, or transfer any Registration or Reservation if it determines, in its sole discretion, that the information is materially inaccurate."

It's absurd that people are lamenting that they might no longer be able to falsify information when entering into a legally binding purchase agreement. And saying "because I want to" is all the reason they should need.

So accountability may be introduced to the internet. The horror!

Privacy is a valid concern but it is a separate issue. If the option of private registration was taken away then that would indeed be a worry. If that was the story we are all commenting on, I would agree 100%. But there is no indication as yet that that is going to happen.

As it stands, pay the private registration fee (yes - even those with large portfolios) and accept it as a cost of doing business legally.

Otherwise, don't cry foul is those domains get taken away because your name isn't actually Ivan E. Normous-Phallus.

[bwnbwn]

The name of a domain owner in register
3/68 moo.6 soi dang dum bung lumong
pattaya, chonburi 20150
Do you think this is a good address not in this lifetime. It is connected with all sorts of phishing attacks cc fraud and more activites yet this domain is active and still taking personal info. This is what has to be stopped.

[netmeg]

And you think this is gonna do it?

Good luck with that.

[bwnbwn]

netmeg it might not stop it 100% but what regulations do. It will like all regulations slow it down to a managable point. Right now there are millions of bad register data. I suspect if passed it will cut more than 1/2.

[Strapworks]

LOL, the arguments against this are hilarious and unfounded.
I don't like the thought of higher fees, but I think verification should have been required a long time ago and will only help lower illegal activity.
If you want to be private, pay the fee, otherwise you are hiding more than just your name.

[graeme_p]

@numnum not only will private registrations be more expensive, but ALL registrations will be more expensive. If registrars have to verify identities the cost of registering a domain is likely to be similar to getting an SSL certificate.

On top of that, some people will find it difficult to have their perfectly legitimate details verified.

@Strapwork, LOL all you like, but can you debunk the arguments against this?

Many people have perfectly legitimate reasons for privacy.