ARTICLE 19 welcomes the appointment of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers’ (ICANN) new president and CEO, Kurt Erik “Kurtis” Lindqvist, who assumes the role on 5 December 2024. We encourage him to continue ICANN’s work of ensuring the organisation’s policies and positions are informed by human rights considerations.
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is the global non-profit organisation responsible for policies related to the domain name system (DNS). Known as ‘the phonebook of the internet’, DNS translates website addresses (domain names) into IP addresses (where a given website is located), so that users can be directed to the correct site.
Lindqvist assumes his new role at a pivotal moment in ICANN’s history with the upcoming next generic top-level domain (gTLD) round, the interpretation and implementation of the new contractual changes to Registrar Accreditation Agreements to mitigate DNS abuse, heated debates on the right to privacy and access to domain name registration data, and the upcoming WSIS+20 Review process.
The discussion at ICANN81 led by ARTICLE 19, Digital Medusa, Verisign and Tucows made it clear that while registry operators and registrars (the companies which manage the domain name registration process and enforce relevant ICANN policies) have a clearer understanding of ICANN’s definition of DNS abuse, questions remain as to how to address the issue without overreaching and running the risk of censorship. Registrars are often limited in what they can do: if they wish to block a particular activity, often their only recourse is to take down the entire domain name.
This should not be the first action registrars take when receiving a report of DNS abuse. Taking action on DNS abuse must be done via transparent processes, and registrants (the individuals or entities who have registered a domain name) who wish to dispute registrar’s actions must have access to remedy. ICANN must protect registrants’ rights to freedom of expression online through procedural safeguards and develop further guidance to ensure that enforcement mechanisms remain within the scope of ICANN’s remit.
ARTICLE 19’s long-standing engagement in ICANN has led to the integration of human rights considerations into ICANN’s policy development processes and outputs. In 2016, we successfully led the effort to amend ICANN’s bylaws to integrate human rights as a core value underpinning its work. In 2021, ARTICLE 19 published a human rights impact assessment for infrastructural technologies and services, including registries and registrars.
Within this context, ARTICLE 19 encourages Lindqvist to commit to:
- Increasing diversity and representation in the DNS ecosystem within the next gTLD round through the development of fair, transparent, and accessible guidance to applicants
- Respecting freedom of expression and preventing censorship from occurring online through the development of DNS abuse mitigation strategies
- Ensuring all stakeholders can meaningfully engage in ICANN’s policy development, including that the non-commercial stakeholder group (NCSG) has equal representation in ICANN decision-making and reform processes
- Protecting and promoting multistakeholder model of internet governance through active engagement in the WSIS+20 Review process to ensure outcomes are grounded in openness, inclusivity and accountability
ARTICLE 19 looks forward to collaborating with Lindqvist in upholding ICANN’s mission to ‘help ensure a stable, secure, and unified global Internet’ and providing guidance and resources to the ICANN community to protect and promote freedom of expression online within a rapidly evolving internet ecosystem.