The collection and disclosure of DNS registration data have evolved chaotically, influenced by GDPR and other privacy laws. The system, while improving privacy, has enabled bad actors and raised costs for registrars and registries.

Join experts at this 2nd event, hosted by CircleID in partnership with the Edgemoor Research Institute, as they further explore Project Jake’s framework for balancing privacy with legitimate data needs, emphasizing policy clarity, efficiency, and adaptability.

The event will open with a fundamental question: “What does ‘good’ look like for domain name registrars?” This inquiry aims to explore the motivating factors—both for and against—the disclosure of registration data.

Details

Date: Thursday, Feb 27, 2025
Time: 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm EST
Place: Online via Zoom

The inaugural event took place on Thursday, February 6th. Watch the full recording and explore a detailed review of the discussions here.

Moderator

Lori S. Schulman is Senior Director for Internet Policy for the International Trademark Association (INTA) where she is responsible for managing the association’s various Internet policy and advocacy initiatives and serving as liaison to INTA’s Internet and Data Protection Committees. She is INTA’s representative to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), Internet Governance Forum (IGF), World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) other Internet policy bodies. Lori has a varied background in general corporate and intellectual property law and has managed the trademark portfolios of Fortune 100 companies and major nonprofit organizations. She started her career as an Attorney/Advisor for the U.S. Trademark Office. Prior to joining INTA as a staff member, she served as General Counsel for a U.S. based, nonprofit, educational organization. Ms. Schulman is a former INTA board member and former advisor to the Public Interest Registry (PIR), the operator of the .org top level domain. Lori holds a B.A. in International Relations from Tufts University and a J.D. from George Mason University School of Law where she was a member of the George Mason Inn of Court. She is the immediate past president of the Intellectual Property Constituency (IPC) and speaks frequent on digital policy, data protection and domain names.

Speakers

Brian Beckham heads up WIPO’s Internet Dispute Resolution Section under its Arbitration and Mediation Center. In this role he manages ICANN policy matters and oversees a team that manages thousands of UDRP cases each year (over 6,000 in 2023 and 2024). He also wrote WIPO’s “Jurisprudential Overview” of UDRP case law. Prior to his current role, Brian was Head of Legal Policy at the DNS consultancy Valideus where he led successful negotiations with ICANN on contracts for “dot-brand” new TLDs. Brian also led a WIPO team which successfully proposed the paperless “eUDRP” to ICANN [in 2009]

Christine Runnegar is passionate about security and privacy. She has helped shape privacy frameworks in the OECD, Council of Europe and APEC, co-chairs the W3C Privacy Working Group, helped develop Privacy Principles for Mobility Data and the CIS Controls v8 Privacy Companion Guide, serves as Board Chair of the Internet Security Research Group, and advocates for an open, globally connected, secure and trustworthy Internet at the Internet Society.

Gabriel Andrews, Supervisory Special Agent (SSA), received his bachelor’s degree in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology from the University of California at Santa Cruz and an M.B.A. from San Diego State University. He entered the FBI as a Special Agent in 2010 working criminal computer investigations in the Los Angeles Field Office. Since then, SSA Andrews has served as the FBI’s liaison for Cyber matters to Canada out of the US embassy in Ottawa, as a SSA in FBI Cyber Division headquarters overseeing FBI operational engagement with the private sector, and most recently as an SSA in the FBI’s Science & Technology Branch focusing on matters of Internet Governance. SSA Andrews is currently the FBI’s liaison to ICANN, where he serves as Co-Chair of the Public Safety Working Group collaborating with global law enforcement and public safety agencies on policy for a safe and secure Internet.

Dr. James Galvin is Director, Strategic Relationships, at Identity Digital, supporting and managing the company’s relationships within Internet and IT communities. He has been engaged in the development of the founding technical standards and policies upon which Internet applications and services are deployed for over 25 years, including developing and deploying Internet standard security protocols, conducting critical infrastructure analysis and design, evaluating and mitigating risk, and creating secure network architectures.

John McElwaine is a seasoned intellectual property attorney specializing in Internet, domain name, and technology litigation. With extensive experience in trademark law, he counsels clients on brand protection, online IP enforcement, and ICANN policy matters. John has represented clients in federal and state courts, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, and UDRP arbitration. He advises on trademark strategy, prosecution, and portfolio management for corporations and educational institutions. Additionally, he provides legal guidance on technology transactions, including software licensing and development. His expertise helps businesses safeguard their intellectual assets and navigate the complexities of the digital landscape.

Jothan Frakes is owner/CEO of ICANN Accredited Registrar PLISK.COM where he has served as the Vice Chair of TechOps on the Executive Committee of the Registrar Stakeholder Group. He is known for his three decade tenure in the domain name industry, a number of patents and successful startups, his ability to speak complex technical jargon to boardrooms, a contagious enthusiasm for domain names and the industry, his work on the Public Suffix List (PSL), and for being a co-founder of domain industry conferences NamesCon, DomainFest and MERGE.

Nigel Hickson, Head of Internet Governance policy at DSIT, is an experienced leader in Internet governance, currently heading a team within the International Directorate at the Department of Science, Technology, and Innovation. With a career spanning over three decades, he has held key roles in the UK government, including positions at the DTI, Cabinet Office, HM Treasury, and DCMS, where he focused on international ICT policy. From 2012 to 2020, he served as ICANN’s Vice President for Stakeholder Engagement in Europe. Passionate about the Internet’s economic, social, and political impact, Nigel advocates for multi-stakeholder governance. Outside of work, he is an avid runner, walker, and cyclist.

Rod Rasmussen is a retired cybersecurity executive who, while investing in and advising start-ups, is spending the bulk of his work time volunteering for cybersecurity related organizations. This includes ICANN’s Security and Stability Advisory Committee (SSAC) [Chair 2018-2023], being a Senior Advisor to the Messaging Malware Mobile Anti-Abuse Working Group (M3AAWG), serving as a member of the leadership of the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) and participating in numerous other industry organizations. Rasmussen provides occasional consulting and expert witness services via R2 Cyber, where he is the Principal.

Prior to retirement, Rasmussen co-founded the cybersecurity company IID and was the company’s CTO prior to its acquisition in 2016. He has been widely recognized as a leading expert on the abuse of the domain name system by criminals. Rasmussen is also an active participant in and the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST). He is a regular participant in DNS-OARC meetings, the worldwide organization for major DNS operators, registries and interested parties. He is also a long-standing member of the Advisory Board for the School of Engineering and Technology at the University of Washington Tacoma. Rasmussen earned an MBA from the Haas School of Business at UC-Berkeley and holds two bachelor’s degrees, in Economics and Computer Science, from the University of Rochester. He has worked in both government (the Congressional Budget Office) and various computer communications and networking companies throughout his career.

Steve Crocker is an Internet pioneer and computer scientist with experience in academia, government, and industry. He earned his B.A. in mathematics and Ph.D. in computer science from UCLA. He managed research at DARPA in the early 1970s, founded the computer science research laboratory at The Aerospace Corporation in the early 1980s, and co-founded CyberCash, Inc. His honors include the 2002 IEEE Internet Award, an honorary doctorate from the University of San Martín des Porres in Lima, Perú, founding membership in the Internet Hall of Fame Pioneers, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Internet Society.

Steve Crocker was the founding chair of ICANN’s Security and Stability Committee (SSAC). He also served on the ICANN Board from 2003 to 2017, first as a liaison from SSAC and then nine years as a director. For the last six-and-a-half of those years, he chaired the board, overseeing the recruiting of two CEOs and the transition in 2016 to independence from the NTIA agreement.

Steve Crocker is President of Edgemoor Research Institute (ERI). ERI facilitates the development and analyses of proposed and existing policies regarding the collection and access to registration data, including personally identifiable information.

Event Background

Today’s processes for the disclosure of domain registration data are slow, inconsistent, and often frustrating. The original administrative function of WHOIS evolved into an outdated system where personal data is either exposed or increasingly hidden without proper control or consideration of the consequences, causing policymakers to respond with evolving and often conflicting privacy laws and regulations.

To maintain and increase trust and accountability online requires a new framework for Internet Domain Registration Data Disclosure. To define such a framework, stakeholders must address questions such as: “What constitutes legitimate access to Internet Domain Registration Data?” and “How can the key functions of domain registration data be aligned with the needs and interests of the various stakeholders?

The inaugural event took place on Thursday, February 6th. Watch the full recording and explore a detailed review of the discussions here.

Further updates to this post will be shared progressively.