It’s horrifically official, FCC repeal signals the death of Net Neutrality

It’s official. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC)’s repeal of net neutrality rules, which had required internet service providers to offer equal access to all web content, took effect on Monday. The rules which were enacted during the President Barack Obama era in 2015, prohibited internet providers from charging more for certain content or from giving …

Senators ask FCC to explain how net neutrality comments were filled with stolen identities used to post fake comments

Two US senators Jeff Merkley, a Democrat, and Pat Toomey, a Republican, who both had their identities stolen and then used to post fake public comments on net neutrality — are calling on FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to address how as many as 2 million fake comments were filed under stolen names. “We were among those whose …

Time Barred ICANN Releases Temporary WHOIS Specs Plan for GDPR Compliance as Deadline Looms

ICANN has finally published an interim European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Whois safety net called Temporary Specification for gTLD Registration Data in a last minute bit to ensure that WHOIS is GDPR compliant all the while maintaining the existing WHOIS system to the greatest extent possible. The plan is subject to further revision prior …

ICANN appeals to Article 29 Working Party for GDPR Enforcement Moratorium hits a snag

ICANN’s begging spree trip to Brussels this week with the European Union’s data protection authorities (DPAs) failed to secure a moratorium to delay the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) implementation. In what is seen as a predictable ICANN-style self-inflicted harm, the organization is now left with less than 30 days to find a solution to …

Australian Govt. may Float EOI to identify new administrator for .AU should auDA fail to demonstrate substantive reforms

The Turnbull Government has released the findings of the review into Australia’s .au domain. The not-for-profit .au Domain Administration (auDA) oversees the operation of Australia’s .au domain, has been embroilled in leadership crisis for over two years resulting in a moderate leadership turnover. In 2017, the government opened a public cconsultation that would give a …

Organic GDPR Related Searches have spiked and so are Paid Cost Per Clicks

The deadline for the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation compliance is fast approaching, resulting in increased searches for the acronym “GDPR” on Google’s search engine. This organic search increase has prompted companies like Adobe and IBM — which offer consulting services — to buy up search terms, driving up the price of keywords. Since …

NTIA’s David Redl asks ICANN to review GoDaddy’s blocking access to Whois records

The U.S. government has sent a letter to ICANN asking it to review GoDaddy’s (NYSE: GDDY) activities around blocking access to Whois records. Through David Redl, who heads the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, sent the letter to ICANN’s board today asking it to look into the matter. The timing is strange because, coming in …