NGOs urge ICANN to safeguard privacy

By EDRi · November 5, 2003

More than 50 consumer and civil liberties organisations from around the
world have written to ICANN to urge the organisation to limit the use and
scope of the WHOIS database to its original purpose – the resolution of
technical network issues – and to establish strong privacy protections
based on internationally accepted privacy standards. The WHOIS database
broadly exposes domain registrants’ personal data to a global audience.

The NGOs urge ICANN to consider their views on the use of WHOIS data. The
letter asks for purpose limitation so that data are not going to be used
for purposes that they were not originally submitted for. The letter also
insists on a possibility for individuals to opt-out from the publication
of their data in the public accessible WHOIS database. The NGOs believe
that disclosure of WHOIS information to law enforcement or in the context
of civil litigation must be pursuant to explicit legal authority set out
in statute.

WHOIS Letter to ICANN (28.10.2003)
http://www.thepublicvoice.org/whoisletter.html