[ALAC] Fwd: [SOAC-Leaders] Informed and Active Domain Name Registrants are Essential for a Secure and Stable DNS - ICANN by Akram Atallah

[Evan Leibovitch]

>
> Throughout all of our work, we endeavor to serve the global public
> interest, domain name registrants and end-users



Services for registrants are an important baby step, as ICANN may have
finally woken up -- after how many years? -- to the fact that it is
registrants, not registrars or registries, that are the source of both its
finances and legitimacy. Time will tell if these are just platitudes or
lead-ups to real action.

Just wake me up when such attention extends to end users -- for instance,
when PICs are taken seriously, involve impacted communities and evoke real
penalty if contravened. Or when watchdogs such as Garth indicate that
domain abuse is indeed under control. Or when the established industry is
prevented from impeding real community and global-south participation in
top-level domains. Or when domain speculation, that impedes innovation and
needlessly extracts value from the Internet ecosystem, is confronted.

Based on many personal conversations I can confirm that trust is at an
all-time low outside the bubble, and this is a factor in why the TLD
expansion is sputtering so badly (while, of course, further expansion is
contemplated). Then again, the trend has been unfortunately too
predictable, as those of us who opposed ICANN's path to date have witnessed.

ICANN has dug itself an extremely deep hole. I welcome these first few
shovel-fuls of dirt, but it's a long way back to solid ground. Education
programs alone will not suffice, ESPECIALLY if such programs are seen as
justification rather than explanation.

Those of us with some history here can easily recall the same
hope-and-change sentiments expressed during previous regime changes. I
genuinely hope, for ICANN's sake, that history does not repeat.

Specifically, I await the pronouncement that ICANN will freeze all existing
work on (and financing of) subsequent rounds of TLDs until existing issues
with registrants and end-users are addressed. At very least, a Charter of
Registrant Rights -- a concept older than my tenure within ICANN -- needs
to be asserted for this claimed change of direction to be taken seriously.

Let's see if -- this time, for once -- the good words turn to action.

Cheers,
Evan
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