The ICANN Board of Directors has directed the Chief Executive Officer to launch a new effort to re-examine the purpose of collecting,

maintaining and providing access to generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD) registration data. The move follows the recommendations of a

review team that examined implementation of WHOIS data policy.

WHOIS is a listing of domain registrants and their contact information.

“WHOIS began more than 25 years ago, before there was even a World Wide Web and its purpose was far more technical than it is

today,” said Dr. Stephen D. Crocker, ICANN Board Chair. “It’s clear that we have to take a thorough look at WHOIS from the ground

up, and that’s what we’re asking the CEO to do - what should WHOIS be and how can we best improve its accuracy?”

The Board tasked the CEO to go beyond the existing WHOIS protocol and start a new initiative focused on directory services. In response CEO Fadi Chehadé will convene an expert working group to help lay the foundation for new policy development work.

The Board resolution also directs the CEO to continue to fully enforce the contractual conditions that relate to the current collection, access and accuracy of gTLD registration data, and increase efforts to communicate and conduct outreach ensuring compliance with existing

WHOIS policy and conditions.

“It’s basically a two-track approach,” said Crocker. “In addition to a full examination of WHOIS, the Board wants to make certain that enforcement of existing WHOIS reporting requirements is strengthened in conformance with the Affirmation of Commitments and the

recommendations of the WHOIS Review Team.”

The Affirmation of Commitments (AoC) is an agreement signed by ICANN and the U.S. Department of Commerce in 2009 that, among

other things, commits ICANN to enforcing existing policies relating to WHOIS.