Dear Colleagues, in advance of tomorrow's call at 20:00 UTC, here is some suggested reading material about WHOIS, what it is, its history, its replacement etc. X - ICANNWiki – WHOIS Overview https://icannwiki.org/Whois <https://icannwiki.org/Whois> Well-structured background on the technical function, historical context, and challenges of WHOIS. - WHOIS page on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WHOIS <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WHOIS> This one focuses a lot on the protocol itself and how things are all held together, also the other types of information available using the WHOIS protocol (like the IP address block data) - Registration Data Policy (2024) https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/registration-data-policy-2024-02-21-en <https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/registration-data-policy-2024-02-21-en> This February 2024 policy outlines updated requirements for how registrars and registries must collect, store, and disclose domain registration data under the new framework. - Clarifications on Registry and Registrar Requirements for WHOIS Data Directory Services (2024) https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/advisory-clarifications-registry-regis... <https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/advisory-clarifications-registry-regis...> Provides implementation guidance and compliance clarifications related to the WHOIS/RDDS services. - Registration Data Request Service (RDRS) Overview https://www.icann.org/rdrs-en <https://www.icann.org/rdrs-en> Launched in November 2023, this pilot service provides a standardised process for submitting requests to access non-public gTLD registration data. Useful for understanding how ICANN is addressing post-GDPR access issues. Looking forward to see you on the call. Kindest regards, Olivier