Hello All, Here is a fresh draft of the terms of reference for the WHOIS task force for discussion at the Council meeting on 12 May 2005. It reflects the context of the ICANN mission and current WHOIS purpose in the registrars accreditation agreement, and identifies issues that have been discussed during the meetings in Mar Del Plata. Note that terms in Capital letters are defined in the Registrar Accreditation Agreement ( http://www.icann.org/registrars/ra-agreement-17may01.htm ). I welcome discussion on the Council and WHOIS task force lists prior to the GNSO Council call. Regards, Bruce Tonkin Draft of Terms of Reference for WHOIS task force ICANN's mission is to maintain the stability and security of the Internet's unique identifier systems, while fostering competition where appropriate to give Internet users greater choice at optimal cost. Within the context of this mission, ICANN has agreements with gtld registrars and gtld registries that require the provision of a WHOIS service via three mechanisms: port-43, web based access, and bulk access. The purpose of the WHOIS service as contained in the Registrar Accreditation Agreement (RAA) is to provide accurate technical and administrative contact information adequate to facilitate timely resolution of any problems that arise in connection with the Registered Name. A registrar is also required in the RAA to take reasonable precautions to protect Personal Data from loss, misuse, unauthorized access or disclosure, alteration, or destruction. The goal of the WHOIS task force is to improve the effectiveness of the WHOIS service in maintaining the stability and security of the Internet's unique identifier systems, whilst taking into account where appropriate the need to ensure privacy protection for the Personal Data of individuals that may be Registered Name Holders, or the administrative or technical contact for a domain name. Tasks: (1) Review the current purpose of WHOIS, and determine whether it should be refined in the context of ICANN's mission and the changing nature of Registered Name Holders. "The purpose of WHOIS is to provide accurate technical and administrative contact information adequate to facilitate timely resolution of any problems that arise in connection with the Registered Name" (2) Define the purpose of the technical and administrative contacts, in the context of the purpose of WHOIS, to improve the accuracy and relevance of the data collected. (3) Determine what WHOIS data elements should be available for public access that are needed to maintain the stability and security of the Internet. Determine how to access data that is not available for public access. The current elements that must be displayed by a registrar are: - The name of the Registered Name; - The names of the primary nameserver and secondary nameserver(s) for the Registered Name; - The identity of Registrar (which may be provided through Registrar's website); - The original creation date of the registration; - The expiration date of the registration; - The name and postal address of the Registered Name Holder; - The name, postal address, e-mail address, voice telephone number, and (where available) fax number of the technical contact for the Registered Name; and - The name, postal address, e-mail address, voice telephone number, and (where available) fax number of the administrative contact for the Registered Name. (4) Determine how to improve the process for notifying a registrar of inaccurate WHOIS data, and the process for investigating and correcting inaccurate data. Currently a registrar "shall, upon notification by any person of an inaccuracy in the contact information associated with a Registered Name sponsored by Registrar, take reasonable steps to investigate that claimed inaccuracy. In the event Registrar learns of inaccurate contact information associated with a Registered Name it sponsors, it shall take reasonable steps to correct that inaccuracy."