[Chapter-delegates] Internet Society Appointments to theNTIA/IANA Stewardship Transition Coordination Group

[Evan Leibovitch]

On 7 July 2014 19:58, Demi Getschko <trieste at gmail.com> wrote:


> 2- In the off-line world, could a owner of a building hide his/her name as
> a real owner of that house? Or a owner of a business? Or a publisher of a
> written paper?
>

Actually, I find the analogy to cars to work well, and domain names are the
license plates. In most states it is illegal to have incorrect or out of
date contact information associated with license plates, and it is the
owner's responsibility to keep the information accurate. As a result, when
you travel in your own car you are most easily tracked by CCTV that record
where your car is travelling, or it is easy for someone to plant a tracking
device on your car.

Does this mean you are unable to travel without being tracked? No, it
simply means that going in your own car is the option of least privacy.
Similarly on the web, having a web presence with your own domain name is
the option of least privacy.

Just like travelling, there are other options to having a web presence that
do not require you to have your own car (or your own domain). Using a taxi
is more private but your face is known to the driver as are the start and
end points. Other options such as public transit are even more anonymous.
Same for a web presence; there are many paths to speak on the web, and very
few of them require your own domain name.

It is telling that the likes of Anonymous and Edward Snowden did not
require -- indeed, I doubt they even wanted -- their own domain names to
accomplish their free speech goals. In my own day job, I run websites for
refugees that have provided protection and public anonymity to numerous
bloggers,

In other words, the claim that having a domain name is a necessary
component of freedom of speech is absolutely bogus, disproven in the real
world on a daily basis. Domain names for individuals are indeed elite and
not required in order to speak freely.

Having said all this, I agree there is a need for balance. I recommend
looking at the privacy policies of CIRA, the Canadian ccTLD. Individuals
registering domains may turn on a flag witholding their WHOIS info from
public distribution. Normally organizations' data must be open, but some
that are in sensitive circumstances may apply for exemption. But even so
... in all cases the information maintained by CIRA is demanded to be
accurate and current, and even the "private" information may be provided if
appropriate court orders are produced.

I believe this is a model worth study and possible emulation elsewhere.

- Evan
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