The Board of Directors of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) approved the proposed “Temporary Specification for gTLD
Registration Data.”
The Board decided to establish temporary requirements for how ICANN and its contracted parties will continue to comply with existing ICANN contractual requirements and with community-developed policies as they relate to WHOIS, while also complying with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
“The ICANN Board’s the proposed Temporary Specification for gTLD Registration Data is an important step towards bringing ICANN and its contracted parties into compliance with GDPR,” said Cherine Chalaby, ICANN Board Chair. “While there are elements remaining to be finalized, the adoption of this Temporary Specification sets us on the right path to maintaining WHOIS in the public interest, while complying with GDPR before its 25 May 2018 enforcement deadline.”
The ICANN organization has closely worked with stakeholders and the ICANN community to discuss and develop the Temporary Specification, and has maintained an ongoing dialogue with the Article 29 Working Party (WP29) to solicit its feedback and input.
“The Proposed Interim Compliance Model is the product of significant collaboration between ICANN and the community,” said Göran Marby, ICANN President and CEO. “With the Temporary Specification now approved by the Board, we can continue working together to identify a permanent solution.”
The Board’s resolution also initiated a community-led policy development process to consider the development and adoption of a consensus policy based on the issues outlined within the Temporary Specification.