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Open Letter to ICANN from Jeff Neuman
by jeff＠jjnsolutions.com Nov. 6, 2023

Nov. 6, 2023

All, I wanted to bring this incredibly sensitive matter to the attention of the At Large. It is a letter I wrote to the Board and CEO of ICANN. I just wanted to forward this on and perhaps this is something that the At-Large wants to discuss. If ICANN truly wants to live up to its Expected Standards of Behavior, they need to take firm swift action. https://www.jjnsolutions.com/post/open-letter-to-icann#:~:text=Open%20Lette…. Open Letter to ICANN I am posting this letter I just sent to ICANN's Chair and Vice Chair as well as to the CEO regarding the statements made by the founder of an organization that hosts an instance of the L-Root Server. I am not posting this to be critical of ICANN at all. ICANN has always done the right thing here and I am sure they will do what is right this time as well. I have faith in ICANN Org and their leaders. So if anyone posts anything about this open letter, please make sure to include that I do NOT fault ICANN for any of this. Dear Tripti, Sally and Danko, I wanted to thank you for your unequivocal statement at the ICANN78 Public Forum that certain political commentary has no place at ICANN and at ICANN meetings. As a Jewish person that lost much of my extended family in the Holocaust in Germany (where the meeting was hosted), it was truly upsetting to see a well-intentioned color-board ruined with words which represent a movement that stands for the eradication of Israel and the extermination of all Jews in the world. While I certainly do not want to stifle any free speech, at the same time, people need to recognize that their words have meaning and can be hurtful to others. It is on this same matter that I want to draw your attention to the comments by Talal Abu Ghazaleh, the founder and chairman of the Jordan-based organization, Talal Abu-Ghazzaleh Organization. In these awful comments (https://www.memri.org/tv/jordanian-businessman-talal-abu-ghazaleh-gaza-loss…) Talal engages in explicit antisemitic speech where he states: ""The Jews do not have any ideology. All they care about is money and interests. I had a friend who was a German cabinet member. I once asked him: 'When Hitler, may God forgive him, carried out the Holocaust, why didn’t he finish the job and kill all the Jews?’ He said to me: 'It's the other way around, but don't tell anyone I said this. He left a group of them on purpose, so that people would know why we carried out the Holocaust. When you would be tormented by them, you would know the reason.'" I also recall that TAG-Org hosts an instance of ICANN's L Root in Jordan (https://www.agip.com/news.aspx?id=6292) I believe ICANN must take immediate action to remove this instance from TAG-Org and find a new home for this instance. In addition, ICANN should make an unequivocal statement ASAP that it does not condone such hate speech and that it will not have any partnerships whose founders or leaders espouse such views. I do not consider myself a political activist by any means, but I care about ICANN and its future. And that future cannot associate itself with organizations that support antisemitism. Other Organizations have already come out against TAG-Org and ICANN should as well. See https://www.managingip.com/article/2cdiik8ybhxoc337hchds/managing-ips-state… and https://www.iam-media.com/article/statement-removal-of-talal-abu-ghazaleh-t…. Please feel free to post this message to the Correspondence page. I am going to post this on my blog in the spirit of openness and transparency.

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CENTR: Registration Data Policy — a sense of urgency
by Steinar Grøtterød Nov. 6, 2023

Nov. 6, 2023

Dear all, Maybe something we should spend some time discussing? https://www.centr.org/news/blog/icann78-urgency.html Regards, Steinar Grøtterød

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DNS Abuse in link-shortening service using .US
by Greg Shatan [NARALO] Nov. 3, 2023

Nov. 3, 2023

All, Here's another form of DNS Abuse that is quite problematic, and described in detail in the Krebs on Security piece. Apparently, there is a link-shortening service called Prolific Puma that has become a favorite for use in malware and phishing scams. Prolific Puma creates second level .us domains that obfuscate the true URL. The Krebs piese is based on an Infoblox report that is mentioned in the article. .US Harbors Prolific Malicious Link Shortening Service – Krebs on Security <https://krebsonsecurity.com/2023/10/us-harbors-prolific-malicious-link-shor…> "The top-level domain for the United States — *.US* — is home to thousands of newly-registered domains tied to a malicious link shortening service that facilitates malware and phishing scams, new research suggests. The findings come close on the heels of a report that identified .US domains as among the most prevalent in phishing attacks over the past year." -- *Greg Shatan* *Chair, NARALO*

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GNSO-TPP: Transfer Policy Review Working Group Recap
by Steinar Grøtterød Nov. 2, 2023

Nov. 2, 2023

Dear all, The GNSO-TPR working group has received a recap of all charter questions (attached). This is an overview of the recommendations the group has agreed on to date. The GNSO-TPR working group will “re-open” the charter questions connected to “Change of Registrant (CoR)”. The first meeting after ICANN78 is scheduled to Nov 7, 2023. If you have any feedback and/or proposals to the recommendations, please let the At-Large representatives know by posting to this group or directly to me. Regards, Steinar Grøtterød

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SSAC and Steve Crocker interventions - and the Global Public Interest
by Olivier MJ Crépin-Leblond Nov. 1, 2023

Nov. 1, 2023

Dear Colleagues, during the ICANN meeting, the ALAC met with the SSAC and touched on several topics. A recording is linked below - but a particularly interesting intervention was that of Dr. Steve Crocker. *Joint Session: ALAC & SSAC* *Session Details: https://sched.co/1T4Kr Zoom Recording: https://icann.zoom.us/rec/share/wglfBxy1wiD1QWzk0yxQbBf5Wa-1ocJWLCcfc7SUCrr… * Steve Crocker starts on: 00:08:56 - and touches on some interesting topics. At 21:48 - Dr. Crocker provides his opinion about the WHOIS situation, which in his view has been broken for many years. The "System", meaning the ICANN policy and implementation of the Registration Data Request System (RDRS) reflects concerns of the domain owner side, its Registrar, Registries, but very little on the Requester side. And then the comments on: 26:24 tagged a personal opinion about the ICANN consensus process being flawed relating to this topic. These are significant words coming from an ex-Chair of ICANN who had access to all of the ICANN inside track. The SSAC also had a meeting with the ICANN Board. Again, several members of the SSAC raised some significant points - whereas the "consumer" which includes end users are faced with ridiculous process put in place by incorrect implementation of ICANN policy. *Joint Session: ICANN Board and SSAC* *Session Details: https://sched.co/1T4Ht Zoom Recording: https://icann.zoom.us/rec/share/EgEGgiDRs1DIr7arQu_UBULIw1k-zhsk9bouuxnufPY… * Several SSAC members noted a pattern of not involving the consumer in the design of these systems. A particular concern relates to "urgent requests" which the PDP has responded to as a response in a matter of days - not hours or minutes. Steve Crocker speaks at: 22:42 John Levine speaks at: 32:49 Both Avri Doria and Edmon Chung provide very valuable input into the discussion - and explain that ultimately the Board is tasked with upholding the Global Public Interest. But the point is made that CISA DS ( https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives ) which was included initially as consensus policy does not appear to be in the contracts signed with ICANN - and the SSAC member asking the question (Benedict Addis - a technical officer in the Cyber and Forensics department of the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), a UK law enforcement body) regarding access to Registrant data in emergency situations - those of hostage taking or where there is a matter of life or death, does not seem particularly impressed. The ICANN Board - as Becky Burr said, agree that the system is not fit for purpose. "The Board will be bringing the urgent request issue back to the GNSO council". At 50:00 Rod Rasmussen spoke of "things that don't quite work right" - but is careful in mentioning SSAC are not picking on Contracted Parties. Sadly, two of the Board members that focussed in particular on the topic were Avri and Matthew and they have now left the Board. I hope other Board members will pick up the helm of the Public Interest because it becomes clear that there is a problem here. Could it be useful to take these problems as examples to support the need for an ICANN pilot Holistic Review? Kindest regards, Olivier

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Circleid - Universal acceptance issues
by Maureen Hilyard Oct. 24, 2023

Oct. 24, 2023

https://circleid.com/posts/20231014-universal-acceptance-issues-with-.tube-…

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Ready, Fire, Aim
by Evan Leibovitch Oct. 24, 2023

Oct. 24, 2023

A high-level tangent inspired by the current discussion: A casual reader might look at this thread and come to an observation that there are two separate issues being discussed, that may not have much to do with each other. The conversation that Mike, Steinar, Olivier and others are having concern details -- contract language, specifics about volumes and dollar amounts and assignment of responsibilities. Meanwhile, I have barged in -- surely unwelcome by some -- to challenge the very premises upon which ALAC's participation is being conducted. I have done this because, in my observation, ALAC lacks -- and has always lacked -- an overarching set of objectives upon which to base strategy and ultimately tactics. We engage in the minutiae of contract language (etc) without clarity of what ALAC -- and what the constituency it is mandated to speak for -- wants from the end result of such engagement. *Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without > strategy is the noise before defeat -- Sun Tzu * > While I was involved deeply in At-Large I would note that any internal attempt to create a coherent statement of purpose would be invariably torpedoed by people insisting that we engage in a never-ending attempt to define the "public interest". As a result, all attempts inevitably sank in the bureaucratic mud. Two separate third-party ICANN reviews of At-Large seemed to wholly overlook the lack of overarching purpose and mandate service while themselves dwelling on the minutiae. It's probably best that we don't depend on outside consultants to define our purpose, but why can't we do it ourselves? WIthout a clear mission, ALAC has weighed in on many issues in which non-registrant end users have no stake at all. Take vertical integration. End-users don't know and don't care about the domain supply chain. Even domain consumers -- technically outside our remit but closest to end-users in the ICANN food chain -- could hardly care less if they bought their domain from a registrar or directly from a registry. And yet there we were at the virtual table, as if our constituency has a crucial stake in that topic's outcome. Think of how many parts of the current ALAC agenda fit the same description. Meanwhile, on high-profile issues that WOULD affect end-users, such as the delegation of .XXX and the attempted private takeover of .ORG, we were silent. Such choices of action and inaction clearly telegraph -- throughout ICANN and the world around us -- a lack of both purpose and focus. This glaring deficiency continues to retard ALAC's agency within the rest of the ICANN community. Over the years I have received many private emails insisting that ALAC has more respect now than it did in the past and that it is invited to the policy table more often. To me this is tokenism. I'll be more persuaded that At-Large has the respect of ICANN when we get that second Board seat that was recommended and promised so long ago. Until then, or until a policy we want that is opposed by the domain industry is implemented, I will maintain that ALAC is being pandered to. We are tolerated in working groups so long as we make little line-item corrections and don't challenge their very premises or the ability of contracted parties to maximize revenue. We have the authority to talk directly to the Board, yet we chase after Public Comment solicitations just like anyone in the world can. We respond to the actions of others, we never initiate or try to set the agenda. One of the last such initiatives by At-Large, a white paper of which I was a co-author, was received with a smile and summarily binned; not a single response was returned from staff or the community. Maybe the cosmetics have changed in the last 15 years but the underlying politics certainly have not. While the status quo is obviously sustainable -- so long as ALAC members get funded to pretend they're the UNSC at a cavernous U-shaped table three times a year and learn how to play the insider games -- it doesn't do anything to serve At-Large's bylaw mandate. The inmates will continue to run the asylum, because the only entity really capable of making them accountable to the world-at-large is just fine with being tolerated. - Evan

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GAC and ALAC Chair Joint Letter on Next Steps for the ALAC-GAC-GNSO facilitated dialogue on Closed Generic gTLDs
by ICANN At-Large Staff Oct. 23, 2023

Oct. 23, 2023

Dear All, On behalf of Jonathan Zuck, ALAC Chair, please find the link to the GAC and ALAC Chair joint letter on next steps for the ALAC-GAC-GNSO facilitated dialogue on Closed Generic gTLDs sent to Tripti Sinha, Chair, ICANN Board of Directors at: https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/correspondence/cabellero-zuck-to-sinh…) Kind regards, At-Large Staff ICANN Policy Staff in support of the At-Large Community Website: atlarge.icann.org<https://atlarge.icann.org/> Facebook: facebook.com/icann<https://www.facebook.com/icannatlarge>atlarge<https://www.facebook.com/icannatlarge> Twitter: @<https://twitter.com/ICANNAtLarge>ICANNAtLarge<https://twitter.com/ICANNAtLarge> [signature_2353871133]

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Meeting Invitation - ICANN78 - Sunday 22 October at 10h30 CEST (08h30 UTC)
by ICANN At-Large Staff Oct. 21, 2023

Oct. 21, 2023

Dear CPWG Members, Please join us on Sunday 22 October from 10h00-11h30 in the ALAC Room (Hall Y, 5-8). At-Large Consolidated Policy WG (CPWG) - Overview and Year Ahead Session Details: https://icann78.sched.com/event/1T4Kq/at-large-consolidated-policy-working-… Agenda: 1. Welcome and Aim of Meeting - Olivier Crepin-Leblond and Hadia Elminiawi, CPWG Co-Chairs (5 mins) 2. 2023 Highlights in ALAC Policy Advice Activities and Current Hot Topics - Olivier Crepin-Leblond (60 mins) * TPR-PDP<https://community.icann.org/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=272990249> - Steinar Grøtterød and Lutz Donnerhacke * EPDP-IDNs<https://community.icann.org/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=272990249> - Satish Babu and Hadia Elminiawi * RDA Scoping Team<https://community.icann.org/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=272990249> - Alan Greenberg * RDRS (formerly SSAD ODA)<https://community.icann.org/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=272990249> - Alan Greenberg * Closed Generics<https://community.icann.org/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=272990249> - Greg Shatan and Alan Greenberg * Applicant Support GGP<https://community.icann.org/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=272990249> - Maureen Hilyard and Satish Babu - Presentation<https://community.icann.org/download/attachments/268763271/GGP%20PPT%20-%20…> * New gTLD Next Round (SubPro)<https://community.icann.org/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=272990249> - Justine Chew and Cheryl Langdon-Orr 3. What to Expect in the Year Ahead in Policy Development - Justine Chew and Jonathan Zuck (20 mins) 4. Next Steps - Olivier Crepin-Leblond and Hadia Elminiawi, CPWG Co-Chairs (5 mins) Thank you. Kind regards, At-Large Staff ICANN Policy Team in support of the At-Large Community Website: atlarge.icann.org [atlarge.icann.org]<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/atlarge.icann.org/__;!!PtGJab4!_FMj7a2EP…> Facebook: facebook.com/icann [facebook.com]<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.facebook.com/icannatlarge__;!!PtGJab…>atlarge [facebook.com]<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.facebook.com/icannatlarge__;!!PtGJab…> Twitter: @ [twitter.com]<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/twitter.com/ICANNAtLarge__;!!PtGJab4!_FM…>ICANNAtLarge [twitter.com]<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/twitter.com/ICANNAtLarge__;!!PtGJab4!_FM…> [signature_1469161298]

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GNSO-TPR: Proposed recommendations to ICANN Bulk transfers and Change of sponsorship (BTAPP)
by Steinar Grøtterød Oct. 13, 2023

Oct. 13, 2023

Dear all, The Inter-Registrar Transfer PDP has proposed a set of recommendations for “ICANN Approved transfers” and “Change of sponsorship (BTAPPA)”. As the At-Large representant in the working group, I asked for your comments to the proposals. Please refer to the proposed recommendation to you comments. Example: Change of Sponsorship (BTAPPA) RECOMMENDATIONS, Prelim. Rec. #xx.2: [Your comment] The deadline to comment is set to COB Tuesday, 17 October. ICANN Approved Transfer is transfer of the sponsorship of all the registrations sponsored by one Registrar as the result of (i) acquisition of that Registrar or its assets by another Registrar, or (ii) lack of accreditation of that Registrar or lack of its authorization with the Registry Operator. Bulk Transfer After Partial Portfolio Acquisition (“BTAPPA”) is a registry service available to consenting registrars in the circumstance where (i) one ICANN-accredited registrar purchases, by means of a stock or asset purchase, merger or similar transaction, a portion but not all, of another ICANN-accredited registrar's domain name portfolio in the TLD or (ii) a newly accredited registrar (gaining registrar) requests a transfer of all domain names from the losing registrar for which the gaining registrar has served as the reseller. Upon completion of the transfer, the gaining registrar is the new sponsoring registrar. The gaining registrar must certify the BTAPPA would not otherwise qualify under ICANN’s Transfer Policy. Regards, Steinar Grøtterød

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