Domain Name System (DNS) Operators (Registries and Registrars) receive orders and requests from a variety of sources, including law enforcement, rights holders and other entities, to take action to remediate abuse taking place on the internet. Such orders and requests are increasing and often arise without full knowledge of the impact of such action on the general functioning of the internet. This can lead to geographically and substantively disproportionate outcomes.
To address the challenges, build clarity and common approaches to DNS level action to address online abuse, the I&JPN Domains & Jurisdiction Program Contact Group bridges stakeholder groups and works to enhance policy coherence and develop solutions for legal interoperability.
Annually the Contact Group engages a selected set of senior-level global key actors from governments, internet companies, technical operators, civil society, leading universities, and international organizations. Members serve in their personal capacity and the work is guided by a neutral Coordinator.
Meet the 2021 Contact Group Members here
The work has been recognised by Public Interest Registry Appeals Process, ICANN Contracted Parties House, in their adoption of an I&JPN Definition of Technical Abuse, the recently launched DNS Institute which builds on foundations laid by the Contact Group, as well as a DNS Abuse Framework released by 11 key registries and registrars that uses I&JPN Network Criteria. In March 2021, the outcomes were combined to form the Toolkit on DNS Level Action to Address Abuses.
In 2021 the Contact Group will build on this momentum and the direction provided in the policy objectives set out in the Berlin Roadmap of the 3rd Global Conference of the Internet & Jurisdiction Policy Network, by designing new tools for law enforcement, registries and registrars on issues such as botnets, Trusted Notifier Programs, Accountability and Transparency.
Learn more about the Domains & Jurisdiction Program Contact Group here
