Dear Members of the PPSAI IRT,
I hope this message finds you well.
As some of you may know, Amy Bivins has moved to a different department within ICANN org and will no longer be directly supporting the PPSAI IRT. As such, and knowing that it has been a while since our last communication, I’d like to provide a brief status update to this list.
For those of you who do not know me, I am a Services Manager on the newly-branded gTLD Accounts and Services team within the GDD. I was previously a Registrar Services & Engagement manager for the North American and Latin American/Caribbean ICANN regions, and I have been supporting the PP Implementation work from the staff side for the past 2+ years.
When we last spoke in November of last year, ICANN org indicated that due to the ongoing work of the EPDP on the Temporary Specification for gTLD registration data and the need for uniformity of approach toward issues raised by the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the PPSAI IRT would slow its work. This approach was for the purpose of monitoring the recommendations of the EPDP for potential impacts to ICANN org’s implementation of the Privacy & Proxy service provider accreditation program, and was intended to focus and conserve limited ICANN org and community resources for the work of the EPDP. The general sentiment from the IRT members in response to this status update was that proceeding with any work outside of these issues was not a prudent use of resources at the time.
In March of this year, ICANN org notified the GNSO Council<https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/correspondence/namazi-to-drazek-et-al…> of the intention to formally pause the implementation work for PPSAI. In late April, the Council considered this approach and determined that deference to ICANN org and the IRT<https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/correspondence/drazek-et-al-to-namazi…> was prudent. On 5 September, ICANN org confirmed in response<https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/correspondence/namazi-to-drazek-et-al…> that the PPSAI Implementation would be put on hold pending the implementation of the forthcoming EPDP Phase 2 recommendations.
We understand that reactions within the community and the IRT to this plan remain mixed, but believe this is the best path forward when considering all relevant factors.
We appreciate all of the time and effort spent by the IRT to date. ICANN org remains committed to implementing the policy once the EPDP Phase 2 work is complete and any impacts to the Privacy & Proxy service provider accreditation program can be appropriately assessed and accounted for in our implementation plan.
Best Regards,
Cyrus Jamnejad
gTLD Accounts & Services Manager
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)
Skype: cyrus.jamnejad.icann
Telephone: +1 310 578 8635
www.icann.org<http://www.icann.org/>
