Sweeping changes to registrant data could have major impact on domain name investors.
ICANN’s working group on gTLD Directory Services released its initial report overnight. If I were to use one word to describe the report, it would be “provocative”.
I just finished reading the 49 page report that describes a way to upend WHOIS as we know it and replace it with an Aggregated Registration Data Service (ARDS).
Calling it something completely different than the current technical name of WHOIS was no accident.
Under the possible new directory service, the whois system as we know it would be scrapped. It would be replaced by a sort of “super-thick” WHOIS managed by a service provider that collects data from both registrars and registries.
Much of the registrant information stored by the ARDS would have restricted access.
The good news is that the working group considered just about every use case for why people access WHOIS data, including domain investors’ uses. The goal is to accommodate all legitimate uses of registrant data (including by domain investors) while blocking nefarious uses (such as sending out scam notices and spam).
ARDS would enable domain investors to research the ownership of a domain name including historical data (WHOWAS). (Granted, it wouldn’t have much historical data at first.)
The system also contemplates a formal reverse whois, in which you could see all domains registered to a particular person or entity, that would function across registries.
The directory service take into consideration how individuals and companies manage their domain portfolio as well. It seems that my use of Watch My Domains Pro to access registrant information on my own domains for monitoring and management purposes would be enabled in ARDS.
However, this data will be restricted. How you request the data will be a key detail.
The initial report doesn’t mention journalists as one of the key users of registrant data, although almost all of the uses I currently access WHOIS for fall under one of the other permissible uses, such as Domain Name Research.
A comment period is now open through August 12. ICANN will also hold a webinar about the report on July 8. I recommend reading the report and participating in the process as a number of interests will be pushing their own agendas during this overhaul.
Kevin Murphy says
“just about every use case for why people access WHOIS data”
Apart from bloggers and journalists, I noticed 🙁
Mike says
Will be interesting to see how European Countries with strict Data Protection Laws will handle this as regards disclosure of registrant information etc.
Andrew Allemann says
The new system will probably disclose less information (although it contemplates adding some new types). This may open a can of worms, however, as I believe most European countries have sort of turned a blind eye to whois and how it may violate their privacy laws.
JJ says
I certainly hope people will still be able to contact me via email to buy domains…these gtld’s won’t be happy until they change everything that has been fine for decades.
Domo Sapiens says
Adios…
domaintools.com?
Max says
Spionage through domains is starting…
ALL national/regional registries must permit COMPLETE WHOIS protection
Watching to new domains registered everyone can simply understand the future plans of a company or individual. Registries that do not permit COMPLETE whois protection are accomplices of thefts
JJ says
is this only going to effect the new gtld’s or all domains? very worrisome that i won’t be able to easily research domains and the buyers won’t be able to easily contact me to purchase domains. end users won’t want to register for some system to look up one domain they are interested in. seems icann wants to put domainers out of business.
Andrew Allemann says
@ JJ – would likely be all. But I think the point is it will be relatively easy to research who owns a domain if you want to buy it. Perhaps you don’t even have to “register” unless you want to see lots of data.
Andrew Allemann says
…and that’s exactly the type of feedback that you can submit to ICANN as a comment.
JJ says
I suppose its a bit early to worry too much about it but as 99% of my sales come via email inquiries if they make that info harder to access we can all say goodbye to end user email inquiries and I will have to use other methods to sell domains or go out of business.
I just don’t know how they plan to stop spammers and scammers but at the same time allow relatively easy access to the info. for example when someone searches a domain at godaddy, now they can click the ‘whois’ link and see the info. i doubt it will be that easy under the new system and if it is, then what is the point?
Andrew Allemann says
JJ – it’s fine to worry and make your voice heard. I think it’s a good sign that they took domain investors into consideration, but everyone needs to keep an eagle eye on this process.
Andrew Allemann says
@ Domo Sapiens – it’s true that some of these services are offered by DomainTools today. If they play it smart they could end up even better off after a new system is implemented. Most importantly, they have all of the historical data that no one else has. But Even that only gets you so far, and I’m sure they’ve been building new products and offerings on top of their data for a while in order to stay ahead of the curve.
Antony Van Couvering says
The PRISM people will be happy
JJ says
Yes, I hope ICANN realizes that domainers contribute a lot to their revenues and take what we need to do into consideration. It would be nice to stop the flow of spammers who send out those expiry emails and those guys trying to sell crap domains for a few hundred bucks to random people but i hope it wouldn’t stop end users from contacting domainers and domainers from contacting end users manually. I will submit my concerns to them but not sure how effective that will be.