What percentage of gTLD Registries and Registrars operate
in and/or have customers in countries with data protection
laws?
The following documents provide insight into various data
protection laws and privacy rights that exist in various
countries, regions and states around the world:
1) Maximillian Schrems v Data Protection
Commissioner. Judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) of 6 October
2015. The recent decision of the European Court of Justice stating
that Safe Harbour which allowed data flows between the EU and US
was invalid.
2) The new EU-U.S. Privacy Shield announced at
the end of February 2016 for commercial data flows --
http://ec.europa.eu/justice/newsroom/data-protection/news/160229_en.htm
3) US Supreme Court Case - McIntyre v. Ohio
Elections Commission, 514 U.S. 334 (1995).
US Supreme Court overturned as a state law that required a person
to put her name and address on political pamphlets and materials
as an unconstitutional violation of the First Amendment.
The Court opinion states: "Anonymous
pamphlets, leaflets, brochures and even books have played an
important role in the progress of mankind." Talley v.
California, 362 U.S. 60, 64 (1960). Great works of literature
have frequently been produced by authors writing under assumed
names. [n.4] Despite readers' curiosity and the public's
interest in identifying the creator of a work of art, an author
generally is free to decide whether or not to disclose her true
identity. The decision in favor of anonymity may be motivated by
fear of economic or official retaliation, by concern about
social ostracism, or merely by a desire to preserve as much of
one's privacy as possible. Whatever the motivation may be, at
least in the field of literary endeavor, the interest in having
anonymous works enter the marketplace of ideas unquestionably
outweighs any public interest in requiring disclosure as a
condition of entry. [n.5] Accordingly, an author's decision to
remain anonymous, like other decisions concerning omissions or
additions to the content of a publication, is an aspect of the
freedom of speech protected by the First Amendment.