Dear All,

Please find below the notes and action items from today’s small team meeting.

Best regards,

Steve & Marika

DNS Abuse Small Team – Notes 9 February 2022

Action item #1: Small team to review index of resources and indicate if there are any resources missing

Action item #2: Staff support team to prepare first draft of outreach framework, including identifying questions to be asked

Action item #3 – Small team members interested to lead this effort to indicate their interest on the list

Welcome & introductions

• No objections to recording the meeting

Review of small team assignment (here)

• Run through of small team assignment document
• Main objective is to advise Council on what next steps to take on DNS Abuse, if any
• What is the role of the small team in relation to outreach? No specific Operating Procedures for small teams, but Council does provide instructions and expectations. These include the expectation that outreach is conducted to groups that have promoted further policy work to better understand what the problem is that they are looking to solve and whether or not that can be addressed through policy.
• Note that a number of groups have indicated that they would like the GNSO to undertake action and/or policy development, but it has not been articulated what specific problem they expect to be addressed. Better understanding of what these groups expect policy development could solve for may help determine whether or not that is within the remit for policy development or whether there are other avenues that could/should be explored.
• Small team could consider a framework for outreach that is shared with the Council so they are informed about the proposed small team approach so they can indicate if there are concerns.
• Outreach should not only focus on questions on what Council could be doing, but also about what the limits are for Council action.
• Could the group also consider suggestions that are outside of the Council’s remit?
• See also previous work undertaken by the Council.
• Small team shouldn’t be stating what the problem is but hear from others.
• What work can be done by the small team without it becoming a scoping team? This group is looking at whether there is a policy problem for the GNSO to solve. If the response is ‘yes’ and it is within the Council’s remit, then a scoping team may be needed, or whatever is next to get it onto the policy development path.
• Should Council be responsible for outreach? Small team cannot speak on behalf of the whole Council. Consider developing a framework for outreach to be conducted, including objective of the outreach, what will input be used for, etc. Share that with Council to allow for input / non-objection.

Review of GNSO focused resources on the subject of DNS abuse (here)

• Note a number of efforts were undertaken by the Council / GNSO in the 2008-2012 timeframe that addressed a number of questions in relation to Registration Abuse. At the time there was not sufficient support to take a number of these efforts further forward.
• If it is decided that further policy work needs to be undertaken, it may be helpful to review those efforts to avoid re-inventing the wheel, while at the same time recognizing that some may have been overtaken by recent events (for example, renewal of contracts may have resulted in updated DNS abuse provisions).
• Need to factor in national legislations and possible restrictions this could imply in finding universal best practices.

Continued discussion of assignment – approach to complete assignment

• Next step would be putting pen to paper to frame the questions for outreach
• Design outreach framework which is to be shared with the full Council
• Are there small team members willing to volunteer or should the staff support team assist with putting together a first draft?
• Make sure that the questions asked have not already been answered. Consider referencing existing work and/or statements that can serve as a reference for those asked to respond.

AOB

• Next meeting to be scheduled when draft outreach framework is available for review.
• Mark Datysgeld is potentially interested to lead this effort but wants to have a better understanding on where this is going before being able to decide whether he is the best fit for this role.