[lac-discuss-en] New Report Presents Syntax and Operability Accuracy of WHOIS Data in gTLDs

[Carlton Samuels]

[image: ICANN] <http://www.icann.org/> News Alert

https://www.icann.org/news/announcement-2017-12-19-en
------------------------------
New Report Presents Syntax and Operability Accuracy of WHOIS Data in gTLDs

19 December 2017

LOS ANGELES – 19 December 2017 – Today, the Internet Corporation for
Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) published the WHOIS Accuracy Reporting
System (ARS) Phase 2 Cycle 5 Report. This is a follow-up to previous ARS
Reports which have been published semi-annually since December 2015.

*Read the Report*
<https://whois.icann.org/en/file/whois-ars-phase-2-cycle-5-report-syntax-and-operability-accuracy>
.

The report explores both the syntax and operability accuracy of WHOIS
records in generic top-level domains (gTLDs) as compared to the
requirements of the 2009 and 2013 Registrar Accreditation Agreements
(RAAs). It also examines the leading types of nonconformance, trends, and
comparisons of WHOIS accuracy across gTLD types, ICANN regions, and RAA
versions.

The ICANN org developed accuracy tests
<https://whois.icann.org/en/whoisars-validation> to answer questions about
the syntax (format and content) and operability (e.g., does an email sent
to the email address provided in the WHOIS record go through?) of a sample
of WHOIS records. Then, using statistical methods, syntax and operability
accuracy estimates were provided for the population of domains in gTLDs as
a whole, as well as for several subgroups of interest.
Key Findings

The analysis found that:

   - Nearly all WHOIS records contain information that can be used to
   establish immediate contact: In 98 percent of records, at least one email
   or phone number meets all operability requirements of the 2009 RAA.
   - Approximately 94 percent of email addresses, 67 percent of telephone
   numbers, and 98 percent of postal addresses were operable (see Table 1
   below for more information).

*Table 1: Overall gTLD Operability Accuracy by Contact Mode (95 percent
confidence interval)*
  *Email* *Telephone* *Postal Address* *All Three Accurate*
*All Three Contacts (Registrant, Technical, Administrative) Accurate* *93.8%
± 0.4%* *66.9% ± 0.8%* *98.4% ± 0.3%* *63.4% ± 0.9%*

   - In terms of syntax accuracy, approximately 99 percent of email
   addresses, 90 percent of telephone numbers, and 89 percent of postal
   addresses were found to meet all the requirements of the 2009 RAA (see
   Table 2 below for more information).

*Table 2: Overall gTLD Syntax Accuracy to 2009 RAA Requirements by Contact
Mode (95 percent confidence interval)*
  *Email* *Telephone* *Postal Address* *All Three Accurate*
*All Three Contacts (Registrant, Technical, Administrative) Accurate* *99.6%
± 0.1%* *90.2% ± 0.5%* *88.9% ± 0.6%* *81.5% ± 0.8%*

The report also shows a breakdown of accuracy rates by ICANN region (see
Figure 1 below for more information).

*Figure 1: Overall gTLD Syntax and Operability Accuracy by ICANN Region*
[image: Overall gTLD Syntax and Operability Accuracy by ICANN Region]
<https://icann.org/sites/default/files/assets/icann-region-gtld-syntax-operability-accuracy-853x526-19dec17-en.png>
Next Steps

Results included in the report have been provided to ICANN's Contractual
Compliance team, which will assess the types of errors found and follow up
with registrars on potentially inaccurate records. If WHOIS inaccuracy
and/or format complaints are created from the WHOIS ARS data, ICANN
Contractual Compliance will issue tickets in accordance with the Contractual
Compliance Approach and Process
<https://icann.org//en/system/files/files/overall-03oct14-en.pdf> [PDF, 292
KB]. Compliance provides updates on a quarterly basis, which include
updates on WHOIS ARS tickets and can be found here
<https://icann.org//resources/pages/compliance-reports-2016-04-15-en>. In
response to ICANN community requests, the ICANN org now publishes
additional metrics on the WHOIS ARS Contractual Compliance Metrics page here
<https://icann.org//resources/pages/compliance-reports-2016-04-15-en>.

The ICANN org will begin work on the next WHOIS ARS report in January 2018,
with a targeted publication date of June 2018.
Learn more:

   - General information on WHOIS <http://whois.icann.org/en>
   - Previous WHOIS ARS Reports
   <https://whois.icann.org/en/whoisars-reporting>
   - Pilot Study Report
   <http://whois.icann.org/sites/default/files/files/ars-pilot-23dec14-en.pdf>
   [PDF, 1.5 MB]

About ICANN

ICANN's mission is to help ensure a stable, secure, and unified global
Internet. To reach another person on the Internet, you have to type an
address into your computer - a name or a number – into your computer or
other device. That address must be unique so computers know where to find
each other. ICANN helps coordinate and support these unique identifiers
across the world. ICANN was formed in 1998 as a not-for-profit
public-benefit corporation with a community of participants from all over
the world.
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