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@ April 15 | MENA Meetup
https://internetfreedomfestival.org/wiki/index.php/MENA_Monthly_Meetups
@ April 21 | Asia Meetup
https://internetfreedomfestival.org/wiki/index.php/Asia_Monthly_Meetups
@ April 22 | Latin America Meetup
https://internetfreedomfestival.org/wiki/index.php/Latin_American_Monthly_Meetups
@ April 29 | Glitter Meetup: Feminist Funding & Autonomous Resourcing
https://internetfreedomfestival.org/wiki/index.php/Asia_Monthly_Meetups

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5G — The Path to the Next Generation

The mobile industry is embarking on the transition to fifth-generation (5G) technology, which builds on the achievements of 4G while also creating new opportunities for innovation. 5G is ushering in a new era that will see connectivity become increasingly fluid and flexible.

This four-week course covers the key aspects of 5G technology and examines the role governments and regulators can play in helping unlock the benefits of future 5G services for their citizens.

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Mobile is one of the most dynamic sectors in technology. Authorities may face a growing skills and knowledge gap to keep pace with industry developments.

Policymakers and regulators play a key role in shaping the way the industry responds to key issues and challenges. This means it is vital they keep pace with the latest developments. The GSMA's courses help students understand the implications of different policy and regulatory approaches and how they affect the delivery of mobile services to consumers, by emphasising real-world examples of regulatory best practice from different regions around the world.

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Mobile is one of the most dynamic sectors in technology. Authorities may face a growing skills and knowledge gap to keep pace with industry developments. Policymakers and regulators play a key role in shaping the way the industry responds to key issues and challenges. This means it is vital they keep pace with the latest developments.

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Course starts on Feb 21st, 2021
Link to registration
https://bit.ly/AplicacionBecadoGrupoB

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"Cross-border Digital Policies for Africa

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"Cross-border Digital Policies for Africa

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The Internet & Jurisdiction Policy Network will host the second workshop on "Cross-border Digital Policies for Africa" on February 22, 2022, from 13:00 to 16:00 UTC.

The goal of this second workshop is to amplify African perspectives and voices towards stakeholders in the Global North, as well as serving as an opportunity to discuss along the lines of the EU-AU Digital Partnership and jointly identify areas of action.

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Knowledge Dialogue February 22 - Registration

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Your response would be greatly appreciated.

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GSMA Mobile Internet Skills Training Materials

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GSMA Mobile Internet Skills Training Materials

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Introduction to the MISTT

The GSMA Mobile Internet Skills Training Toolkit (MISTT) is a set of free resources to teach people the basic skills they need to access and use mobile internet. It uses a ‘train the trainer’ approach and consists of short lessons available in PDF and video format that can be easily adapted to local needs and languages.

Drawing on our experience supporting the training of over 21 million people with materials from the Toolkit, we can support your digital skills efforts in a variety of ways, including advice on strategy, best practices for reaching women, monitoring and evaluation analysis support, troubleshooting during a campaign, ToT sessions, promotion of impact, and more.

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Online Courses

Create the Perfect IPv6 Address Plan

Provision IPv6 Configuration

Configure basic IPv6

Implement IPv6 Routing

IPv6 Foundations

Mastering Neighour Discovery Protocal

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2021 summary report
Sixteenth Meeting of
Internet Governance Forum
6–10 December 2021
Katowice, Poland

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Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) announced that the ICANN73 Virtual Community Forum, initially scheduled to begin on 5 March 2022, will now be held from 7 to 10 March 2022.

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Today, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) announced that the ICANN73 Virtual Community Forum, initially scheduled to begin on 5 March 2022, will now be held from 7 to 10 March 2022. The meeting will take place in the Atlantic Standard Time zone (UTC -4). Registration for ICANN73 is open and you must register to participate. The ICANN73 Prep Week schedule has also been adjusted to 22-24 February.

The ICANN73 schedule will be published on 14 February 2022 and registration is required to view the schedule. Those interested in attending the virtual meeting are encouraged to visit the event website to learn more about the meeting's time zone, Prep Week, and participation tools.

The decision to modify ICANN73 to a four-day meeting was made following consultation with ICANN community leadership to support better working hours for attendees and encourage greater participation.

Sign up to receive ICANN announcements directly to your email inbox to keep up-to-date on the latest ICANN news.

ICANN73 Resources:

Follow ICANN on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram to get the latest #ICANN73 news.

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Revised Dates for ICANN73 Virtual Community Forum

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Today, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) announced that the ICANN73 Virtual Community Forum, initially scheduled to begin on 5 March 2022, will now be held from 7 to 10 March 2022. The meeting will take place in the Atlantic Standard Time zone (UTC -4). Registration for…

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The Virtual School of Internet Governance( VSIG) is a free MOOC (Massive Open Online Courseware) dedicated to the key pillars of Internet Governance.The rich content focuses on the primary learning objectives as found in face to face schools of Internet Governance. Due to COVID 19 these schools are either halted or seriously postponed. Our online courseware provides an integrated taxonomy from the novice to the advanced student to learn the basics of Internet Governance.

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Virtual School on Internet Governance - Your Source on Internet Governance Education

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April 20-24, 2021, Valencia, Spain

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Partners are the life blood of the Internet Freedom Festival. They support the various initiatives that make our community building possible. We offer various options to partner with us, whether you are a civil society organization or technology company. This includes our Diversity and Inclusion Fund, that supports the most vulnerable, at-risk communities.

Check out the diverse partnership options we offer and let us know what you think!

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Internet Freedom Festival | 20-24 April 2020, Valencia (Spain)

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Partners are the life blood of the Internet Freedom Festival. They support the various initiatives that make our community building possible. We offer various options to partner with us, whether you are a civil society organization or technology company. This includes our Diversity and Inclusion Fund, that supports the most vulnerable, at-risk communities.

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Technical Training

MANRS

https://www.internetsociety.org/tutorials/manrs/

PNG-IX Network Security Workshop
https://www.internetsociety.org/blog/2017/10/png-ix-network-security-workshop/

Technical Tutorials
https://www.internetsociety.org/issues/tutorials/

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Follow Internet Society on Twitter Follow Internet Society on LinkedIn Follow Internet Society on Facebook Follow Internet Society on Instagram Follow Internet Society on YouTube Internet Society RSS Feed

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he US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit yesterday denied Vox’s latest appeal in its fight with the Patent and Trademark Office, which had rejected two .sucks trademark applications in 2018.

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Domain Incite - Domain Name Industry News, Analysis & Opinion

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The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit yesterday denied Vox's latest appeal in its fight with the Patent and Trademark Office, which had rejected two .sucks trademark applications in 2018.

Vox had tried to register the string .sucks itself and also its stylized logo, in which ".SUCKS" appears pixelated. Both were rejected, but the registry appealed on the logo application.

It's one of a great many trademark attempts by actual and wannabe gTLD registries to be rejected by the USPTO, which usually finds that the marks do not act as "source identifiers".

The court instead found that people and companies, including registrars, "use .SUCKS to refer to a product being sold to the public rather than as an identifier for Vox's services".

In this case, Vox tried to show that it had crossed the line into service mark partly on the basis that its two leading registrars filed declarations swearing it is a distinctive service mark.

Showing that Vox's chutzpah knows no depths, one of those registrars was its own sister company, Rebel, which is also owned by Momentous. The other was Uniregistrar, years prior to its acquisition by GoDaddy.

But the USPTO wasn't buying it, and the Federal court agreed with its analysis.

The court also agreed that the stylized .sucks logo was not distinctive enough - too "ordinary" - to allow it to be trademarked.

The case has a layer of irony as .sucks's biggest customer is a serial cybersquatter that some UDRP panels have speculated is connected to the registry itself.

Read the decision (pdf) here.

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Court denies .sucks trademark bid - Domain Incite

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Vox Populi Registry has lost its ballsy bid to have its .sucks brand trademarked in the US. The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit yesterday denied Vox's latest appeal in its fight with the Patent and Trademark Office, which had rejected two .sucks trademark applications in 2018.

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Personal Data in the Context of Mobile Networks.

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Personal Data in the Context of Mobile Networks.

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GSMA Course  online  Opens on April 8th, 2021
https://gsmatraining.portal-agylia.com/

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Webinar on Tuesday, April 13th at 1:00PM PT / 4:00PM ET (Wednesday, April 14th at 6:00AM AET)
Register for this webinar session

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Come celebrate AccessibilityOz's 10th birthday with the free webinar "History of Digital Accessibility." After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.

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If you run into any issues while registering, please email sam@accessibilityoz.com for assistance. AccessibilityOz is turning 10! Come celebrate with us at our free webinar, The History of Digital Accessibility. Although the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, Version 1.0 was released in 1999, it wasn't really taken seriously until Bruce Maguire made a complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission in 2000 about the Sydney Olympic Games website.

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June 7th to June 11

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RightsCon is the world's leading summit on human rights in the digital age

Every year, we bring together business leaders, policy makers, general counsels, advocates, technologists, academics, government representatives, and journalists from around the world to tackle the most pressing issues at the intersection of human rights and technology. Join us for our 10th anniversary event online from Monday, June 7 to Friday, June 11, 2021.

RightsCon Network of Speakers

Every year, RightsCon convenes 1,000+ expert speakers across a range of sectors, industries, and communities. Take a look at some of the speakers who will join us online below, or explore past speakers from RightsCon Tunis and Toronto.

RightsCon is proudly brought to you by

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Every year, we bring together business leaders, policy makers, general counsels, advocates, technologists, academics, government representatives, and journalists from around the world to tackle the most pressing issues at the intersection of human rights and technology. Join us for our 10th anniversary event online from Monday, June 7 to Friday, June 11, 2021.

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Disruptive Technies FIRESIDE CHAT: Tech Disrupts The Unbanked!

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Disruptive Technies FIRESIDE CHAT: Tech Disrupts The Unbanked!

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Wednesday, April 14, 2021

3:00 PM to 4:00 PM ET

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The MAIN PANEL on TECH DISRUPTS THE UNBANKED - and Underbanked!

MEET THE PANELISTS
1. Esther Dyson, Executive Founder, Wellville & acclaimed Angel Investor
2. Scott Mattingley-Scott, IBM Quantum Ambassador Leader EMEA & AP and Principal
3. Amy Young, Industry Digital Strategist, Microsoft
4. Frank La Vigne, Data & Digital Tech Architect & Evangelist, Microsoft
5. Kathryn Garcia, New York City Mayoral Candidate / former NYC Sanitation Dept. Commissioner

Rough Outline:

Disrupting Finance. The Unbanked and Underbanked in NYC

11% or 350,000 people in New York City are Unbanked (have no bank account) a further 22% or 700,000 people are Underbanked.
This lack of access to financial services for the most vulnerable encourages a cycle of poverty.
What are the reasons for being Unbanked or Underbanked, How can this be solved; and What are our institutions doing right now including different payment platforms, and how people use them?

"Bank transfers, e-wallets, cash-based payments, and other local payment methods have previously been called alternative payment methods. But they are no longer the alternative; they are the norm for most of the world." - James Booth, Finance Monthly

SPECIAL GIVEAWAYS during the Webinar:
** Thanks to Upflex (free passes for global workspaces)
** Thanks to Rebecca Costa (futurist book "On the Verge"...!)

Simply email your name to [masked] to enter!

Moderator: Oliver Christie, Futurist & AI Strategist

MC: Sep DiMeglio, Premier Developer Consultant, Microsoft

Interactive Videographer:
Jeffrey Paul, Ziotag: advanced deep-tagging.

Fireside Chat to follow one week later on April 14. Please send in your questions beforehand directly to the organizer on this Meetup page or to:
[masked]

You are invited to a Zoom webinar.
When: Apr 7,[masked]:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Topic: FinTech: Tech Disrupts The Unbanked Main Panel

Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82516278791
Or iPhone one-tap :
US: [masked],,[masked]# or [masked],,[masked]#
Or Telephone:
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: [masked] or [masked] or [masked] or [masked] or [masked] or [masked]
Webinar ID:[masked]
International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdIrVROsjz

** Thanks to Microsoft Reactor #MSFTReactor
** Thanks to Ramona Wright
** Thanks to Esther Dyson
** Thanks to Scott Moss

FIRESIDE CHAT: ATTENDEE QUESTIONS ANSWERED

TECH DISRUPTS THE UNBANKED - and Underbanked!

**Email your questions beforehand to**
[masked]

MEET THE PANELISTS
1. Esther Dyson, Executive Founder, Wellville & acclaimed Angel Investor
2. Mark Mattingley-Scott, IBM Quantum Ambassador Leader EMEA & AP and Principal
3. Amy Young, Industry Digital Strategist, Microsoft
4. Frank La Vigne, Data & Digital Tech Architect & Evangelist, Microsoft
5. Kathryn Garcia, New York City Mayoral Candidate / former NYC Sanitation Dept. Commissioner

******GIVEAWAYS!!!!
UPFLEX FREE PASSES FOR INTERNATIONAL OFFICE SPACE!
REBECCA COSTA FUTURIST BOOKS!
TO ENTER: EMAIL YOUR NAME, COMPANY, TITLE & EMAIL ADDRESS TO [masked]

Rough Outline:

Disrupting Finance. The Unbanked and Underbanked in NYC

11% or 350,000 people in New York City are Unbanked (have no bank account) a further 22% or 700,000 people are Underbanked.
This lack of access to financial services for the most vulnerable encourages a cycle of poverty.
What are the reasons for being Unbanked or Underbanked, How can this be solved; and What are our institutions doing right now including different payment platforms, and how people use them?

"Bank transfers, e-wallets, cash-based payments, and other local payment methods have previously been called alternative payment methods. But they are no longer the alternative; they are the norm for most of the world." - James Booth, Finance Monthly

SPECIAL GIVEAWAYS during the Webinar:
** Thanks to Upflex (free passes for global workspaces)
** Thanks to Rebecca Costa (futurist book "On the Verge"...!)

Simply email your name to [masked] to enter!

Moderator: Bruce Epstein, Knowledge Transfer Wizard / AI Content

MC: Sep DiMeglio, Premier Developer Consultant, Microsoft

Interactive Videographer:
Jeffrey Paul, Ziotag: advanced deep-tagging.

Fireside Chat to follow one week later on April 14. Please send in your questions beforehand directly to the organizer on this Meetup page or to:
[masked]

You are invited to a Zoom webinar.
When: Apr 14,[masked]:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Topic: FIRESIDE CHAT: Tech Disrupts The Unbanked Main Panel

Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85142727322
Or One tap mobile :
US: [masked],,[masked]# or [masked],,[masked]#
Or Telephone:
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: [masked] or [masked] or [masked] or [masked] or [masked] or [masked]
Webinar ID:[masked]
International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/keg3yu2M2V

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS:
** Thanks to Microsoft Reactor #MSFTReactor
** Thanks to Ramona Wright
** Thanks to Esther Dyson
** Thanks to Scott Moss
** Thanks to Ziotag
** Thanks to Ginger Dhaliwal and Upflex
** Thanks to Rebecca Costa

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Disruptive Technologists in NYC (New York, NY)

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The MAIN PANEL on TECH DISRUPTS THE UNBANKED - and Underbanked! MEET THE PANELISTS1. Esther Dyson, Executive Founder, Wellville & acclaimed Angel Investor2. Scott Mattingley-Scott, IBM Quantum Ambassador Leader EMEA & AP and Principal3. Amy Young, Industry Digital Strategist, Microsoft4. Frank La Vigne, Data & Digital Tech Architect & Evangelist, Microsoft5.

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Spark is an ongoing conversation about our rapidly changing world. Along with you, host Nora Young explores how technology, innovation and design affects our lives

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Weighing the promise and risks of new uses for DNA tech on our human future

DNA-based technologies are increasingly used for real world, high impact purposes-from tracking biodiversity, to designing crops for climate change, to treating debilitating diseases. How do we democratize the availability while mitigating the risk?

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Home | Spark with Nora Young | CBC Radio

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On CBC Radio One's Spark, Nora Young helps you navigate your digital life by connecting you to fresh ideas in surprising ways.

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Learn about ICANN and its policy process at ICANN Learn
ICANN Ecosystem

Visual Guide to the History of the Internet

Digital Trade and Global Internet Governance

Internet Diplomacy

Registrant Basics: Essentials for Domain Name Holders

Organizational Reviews: Key Resources

Specific Reviews: Key Resources

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The early days of home computing – in pictures

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The early days of home computing – in pictures

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"There were no design conventions for the earliest home computers, no rules for how they'd look," says Alex Wiltshire, author of Home Computers, a new book that explores the rapidly changing face of the household machine between its birth in the 1970s and the 1990s.

A world away from the devices used today, the computers in the book illustrate the rapid march of technology.
Home Computers is published on 16 April by Thames & Hudson (£24.95)

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The early days of home computing - in pictures

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"There were no design conventions for the earliest home computers, no rules for how they'd look," says Alex Wiltshire, author of Home Computers , a new book that explores the rapidly changing face of the household machine between its birth in the 1970s and the 1990s.

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Online Ebooks of presentations

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ATLARGE Webinars and Presentations | FlipHTML5

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Introduction to ICANN and ATLARGE | FlipHTML5

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Dynamic Coalition on Schools of Internet Governance (DC-SIG)

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Dynamic Coalition on Schools of Internet Governance (DC-SIG)

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Schools on Internet Governance (SIGs) have been around for over a decade. Having started with the
European School on Internet Governance (EuroSSIG) in Meissen Germany, the schools have spread
around the world. While some loosely followed the core based curriculum of the EuroSSIG, each of
the schools has developed its curriculum based on its local needs as well as local availabilities.
Some bring in international faculty, some prefer to restrict to local faculty.

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ICANN At-Large: Welcome to Our World

The objective of this course is to provide an introduction to the At-Large community and the At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC), how they function within the ICANN ecosystem, and how you can start and continue your involvement in the activities of the At-Large community. Course link available here
Opens a new window.

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A note about our privacy policies and terms of service:

We have updated our privacy policies and certain website terms of service to provide greater transparency, promote simplification, and align with recent changes in privacy laws applicable to us. Learn more.

This site uses cookies to deliver an efficient user experience and to help us see how the site is used. Learn more.OK

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A note about our privacy policies and terms of service: We have updated our privacy policies and certain website terms of service to provide greater transparency, promote simplification, and align with recent changes in privacy laws applicable to us. Learn more.

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The Virtual School of Internet Governance( VSIG) is a free MOOC (Massive Open Online Courseware) dedicated to the key pillars of Internet Governance. We are using MOODLE which provides the framework including student registration, online forums, Bluejean chats, student assignments, quizzes and more. The rich content focuses on the primary learning objectives as found in face to face schools of Internet Governance. Due to COVID 19 these schools are either halted or seriously postponed. Our online courseware provides an integrated taxonomy from the novice to the advanced student to learn the basics of Internet Governance.

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South School on Internet Governance, SSIG

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South School on Internet Governance, SSIG

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The main objective of the South School of Internet Governance is to get young students and professionals from different disciplines in Latin America and the Caribbean to become involved in the Internet Governance debate and to understand its importance in the future of the Internet and in the development of the region.

The active involvement of representatives from Latin America and the Caribbean is relevant to address issues that are important for the development of the region and its insertion in a globalized world.

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SOUTH SCHOOL ON INTERNET GOVERNANCE 2020

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Las medidas adoptadas por la Ciudad de Buenos Aires y el Gobierno Nacional Argentino para evitar la propagación de la enfermedad incluyen la cancelación de eventos numerosos. Siguiendo las directrices de la OMS y atendiendo las restricciones y recomendaciones en esta fase de contención de la pandemia, la South School on Internet Governance postpone su reunión presencial SSIG 2020.

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School of IG Digital Policies and Innovation 

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School of IG Digital Policies and Innovation 

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SIDI – the School on Internet Governance, Digital Policies and Innovation will take place on 31 May – 11 June 2021, in a fully online format.

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A number of scholarships to cover full or partial tuition fees will be available. The application form will contain a separate field for those interested in applying for a scholarship.

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School on Internet Governance, Digital Policies and Innovation

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A number of scholarships to cover full or partial tuition fees will be available. The application form will contain a separate field for those interested in applying for a scholarship.

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EuroSSIG - European Summer School on Internet Governance

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European Summer School on Internet Governance

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The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) announced today the launch of a new regional pilot event, the Africa Engagement Forum. The event, part of the Africa Regional Plan, will take place from 19- 20 May 2021.

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The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) announced today the launch of a new regional pilot event, the Africa Engagement Forum. The event, part of the Africa Regional Plan, will take place from 19- 20 May 2021.

The Africa Engagement Forum will be dedicated to bringing the African community together and supporting their work within ICANN. The forum will include active working groups and policy development processes for the Domain Name System (DNS), related to ICANN and its constituencies. It will also provide ICANN org with the opportunity to have a dedicated platform to gather, follow-up, and coordinate the work being done with the regional community.

The meeting will span two days, and will include a high-level panel and sessions covering updates from ICANN org and the community. One of the main features of the event will be the Africa Community Public Forum on the second day. The sessions will enable discussions on a broad range of Internet-related topics and inform the regional audience on the latest issues of concern to industry stakeholders.

The full agenda is available here. Interpretation in both French and Portuguese will be provided.

All attendees are required to register here.

ICANN's mission is to help ensure a stable, secure, and unified global Internet. To reach another person on the Internet, you need to type an address - 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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ICANN Launches the Africa Engagement Forum Supporting Community's Work in the Region

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The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) announced today the launch of a new regional pilot event, the Africa Engagement Forum. The event, part of the Africa Regional Plan, will take place from 19- 20 May 2021. The Africa Engagement Forum will be dedicated to bringing the African community together and supporting their work within ICANN.

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April 11- 14 Meeting

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Posted: Wednesday, 17 March 2021
Meetings/Events

Registration is now open for the ARIN 47 Public Policy and Members Meeting, which will be held entirely online from 12-14 April at 12:00 - 3:00 PM ET each day. ARIN is holding this Public Policy and Members Meeting so that attendees may gather virtually to discuss draft Internet number resource policies and learn more about ARIN services and operations.

During ARIN 47, the ARIN Advisory Council will be seeking your feedback on the following policies:

Adopted Policy ARIN-2020-2: Reinstatement of Organizations Removed from Waitlist by Implementation of ARIN-2019-16

Draft Policy ARIN-2020-6: Allowance for IPv4 Allocation "Swap" Transactions via 8.3 Specified Transfers and 8.4 Inter-RIR Transfers

Recommended Draft Policy ARIN-2020-7: 4.4 gTLD Micro-allocation Clarification

Draft Policy ARIN-2020-8: Clarify and Update 4.2.1.2 Annual Renewal Fee

Draft Policy ARIN-2020-10: Removal of Requirement to Demonstrate Utilization of Reassignments and Reallocations for ISPs Seeking Initial Allocation from ARIN

Draft Policy ARIN-2020-11: Replace the Image in Section 2 With a Textual Description

Draft Policy ARIN-2021-1: ASN Clarifications to Sections 2, 8 and 10

All draft policy text is available at:
https://www.arin.net/participate/policy/drafts/
We will be featuring a keynote presentation from Dave Monnier, Team Cymru Fellow at Team Cymru, Inc. titled "A Day in Internet Miscreancy: Why Security Policy and Practice Matter." ARIN would like to thank Team Cymru for its Bronze Sponsorship of ARIN 47.

We will also hold a panel discussion titled "IPv4 Transfer Market Trends."

Register today by visiting:
https://www.arin.net/ARIN47 You only have to register once to attend any and all meeting dates. We recently switched event registration systems, so when registering for the meeting, make note of the password you use to complete your registration. You will need this password to access the virtual meeting on the meeting days!
A link to access the virtual meeting will be emailed to all registered attendees in the days leading up to 12 April. This same link will be used for all three meeting days.

Don't forget to save the date for the ARIN 47 Newcomer Orientation and Policy Preview! All registrants will be invited to participate in an optional Newcomer Orientation and Policy Preview on 8 April. We welcome all first-time ARIN meeting attendees to come learn about ARIN and find out how to make the most of your meeting experience.

Just like our last two virtual meetings, ARIN 47 will be held via Zoom. We will provide the same remote participation options for ARIN 47 that we usually do for our in-person Public Policy and Members Meetings, utilizing features inside the Zoom webinar platform. The meeting will also be webcast with a live transcript for unregistered viewing.

Registration is free, and all remote registrants will be listed as registered participants on the meeting website and in the archive of the meeting on the ARIN website. You must register for the meeting in order to submit comments and questions and vote in straw polls. The ARIN 47 chat in the Zoom webinar will be monitored to ensure that all participants adhere to the ARIN Participants Expected Standards of Behavior:
https://www.arin.net/about/corporate/standards/
If you have any questions, please email us at meetings@arin.net.

Regards,

American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN)

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Registration is now open for the ARIN 47 Public Policy and Members Meeting, which will be held entirely online from 12-14 April at 12:00 - 3:00 PM ET each day. ARIN is holding this Public Policy and Members Meeting so that attendees may gather virtually to discuss draft Internet number resource policies and learn more about ARIN services and operations.

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May 17-21. 2-021

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March saw the publication of a draft RIPE Code of Conduct, lots of activity from RIPE Working Groups, and ongoing preparation in the lead up to #RIPE82. The RIPE Chair Team reports on all this and more on #RIPELabs now: https://labs.ripe.net/Members/mirjam_kuhne/the-ripe-chair-team-reports-march-2021

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June 14-17, 2021

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On 16 September, the ICANN Board approved plans for the first-ever changing of the cryptographic key that helps protect the Domain Name System (DNS) - the Internet's address book. The Root Key Signing Key (KSK) Rollover is scheduled for 11 October 2018 and will mark the first time the key has been changed since it was first put in use in 2010.

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introduction to the cCNSO, .PR and CIRA

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VSIG Group C Live Sessions: Module  Infrastructure-cCNSO with Dr. Pablo Rodriquez and  Alyssa Moore

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Calendar of Internet Governance Meetings in 2020

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Website maintenance planned from Mar 1st 05:00UTC until Mar 4th 05:00UTC. Portions of our web site may be unavailable.

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In death, as in life, tech conglomerates like Google and Facebook retain a tight grip on your digital assets.

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If you think Big Tech has a tight hold on your attention and your wallet now, just wait until you pass away. On average, Americans value their digital assets-stuff like photo libraries, social media profiles, and blog posts-at $54,722. Yet, there's a chance that all that value will disappear when you die. You'd think that users could easily make sure that those digital assets, like physical ones, would be passed down to their loved ones upon their death. The reality is that Big Tech companies do their darndest to control every piece of data, even when you're in the grave.

Most states have passed a version of the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (RUFADAA), with the intent of making it easier for fiduciaries, like estate executors, to "manage" the digital assets of the deceased. RUFADAA, though, has failed to help loved ones obtain these digital assets, even as they are rapidly becoming perhaps even more valuable than physical assets. States originally sought to pass a Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Access Act (UFADAA), authored by the Uniform Law Commission. This predecessor to RUFADAA, though, worried Big Tech, so they fought back. And they succeeded in watering the act down.

When Big Tech learned that UFADAA would allow fiduciaries to access digital assets in the same way they can access physical ones, they made sure it failed. NetChoice, a trade association of online businesses, defended their efforts to quash UFADAA as a way to protect users' privacy. They worried that absent higher barriers to access a deceased user's account, the odds of a user having information they sought to keep private being disclosed would be too high. It is more likely, though, that NetChoice wanted to shift more of the administrative burden of proving a right to access an account onto a decedent's estate. In short, they wanted to avoid any chance of liability tied to an improper disclosure of a user's digital assets. So they drafted an alternative bill, one that would limit the scope of fiduciaries to access digital assets, while also lobbying against UFADAA.

States got the message. They stopped trying to pass it. That's why the Uniform Law Commission came up with RUFADAA instead.

RUFADAA is a lot like the 2021 Buffalo Bills: really close to being a big win, but, in practice, still a loss for users. The act creates a hierarchy of ways for fiduciaries to access the digital assets of deceased users. First, if a user has used an "online tool" (more on this in a second), then Big Tech companies and other providers will grant whatever access the user specified in that tool. Second, if a user didn't use a provider's tool but did execute a will, then that will can override any limits to access that the provider has outlined in their Terms of Service (TOS). Third, if the user failed to make use of the tool or to execute a will, then those TOS govern the kind of access a fiduciary may be granted.

Universal use of online tools could, therefore, solve this entire problem. If every provider offered an online tool to designate how you'd like your digital assets to be distributed upon your death, then no access issues would arise. There are a couple barriers to this ideal outcome, however. Few providers actually have such online tools and, in the event they do, they don't make users aware of these tools. Take, for example, Google's Inactive Account Manager. Ever heard of it?

It's an online tool that allows you to go product by product through your Google account and designate which assets you'd like to distribute upon your death. It's easy to use. It's comprehensive. And it's something most folks have never heard of. Companies aren't advertising these online tools. If they really cared about making sure users had their wishes granted, then use of the online tool would be a requirement to create an account.

So there is problem one with RUFADAA: It's simple solution to bequeathing digital assets is underused by providers and unfamiliar to users.

The next issue is that even if a user goes through all the steps of an online tool, providers can force fiduciaries to jump through time-intensive and expensive legal hoops. Leaning on 30-plus-year-old federal laws, providers have commonly made fiduciaries trying to access digital assets get court orders to actually realize that access. You can imagine that this isn't exactly an easy step for the vast majority of estates to take.

One final issue: RUFADAA was poorly written, so even if a fiduciary is granted "access" to a user's digital assets, it's not clear what "access" actually includes. This ambiguity unsurprisingly gives providers yet another excuse to go to the legal system and throw up walls around a decedent's digital assets.

Facebook will have 4.9 billion deceased users from around the world by 2100. That means hundreds of millions of American families will have tried to get precious photos and the like from their loved ones. Under RUFADAA, Big Tech companies will exercise undue control over the digital assets of these users.

Simple changes can improve RUFADAA: (1) requiring providers to make use of an online tool a step in registering for the service; (2) limiting the use of court orders where user consent to access is clearly identifiable; and, (3) actually defining what "access" means.

Big Tech's dominance can be partially explained by horrible default settings. Users opt-in to receiving countless notifications, sharing endless data, and allowing providers to hold onto their most precious digital assets upon death. You could argue that users should be smarter and simply opt-out of egregious behavior. But such an argument is never going to win in a world where attention is at a premium. Let's reform RUFADAA-state by state-and score a small, but meaningful win against Big Tech controlling every part of our lives (and afterlives).

Kevin Frazier is the editor of the Oregon Way, a nonpartisan online publication. Currently, he is pursuing a J.D. at the UC Berkeley School of Law and an MPP at the Harvard Kennedy School.

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Big Tech Owns You After Death, Too - The American Conservative

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If you think Big Tech has a tight hold on your attention and your wallet now, just wait until you pass away. On average, Americans value their digital assets-stuff like photo libraries, social media profiles, and blog posts-at $54,722. Yet, there's a chance that all that value will disappear when you die.

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What will our sense of "government" be in 2050?

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What will our sense of "government" be in 2050?

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f wondering how government will look in the future seems like an odd question, it's hardly surprising.

As humans, we tend to believe that the way things are, are generally the way they've always been. And that particularly applies to the idea of "government."

Sure, we know there used to be kingdoms and fiefdoms and bloody succession battles, but outside of Netflix, those hardly seem relevant today.

If you live in a stable democracy it's easy to assume that government is like a slow moving ship — difficult to change or turn around.

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If wondering how government will look in the future seems like an odd question, it's hardly surprising.

As humans, we tend to believe that the way things are, are generally the way they've always been. And that particularly applies to the idea of "government."

Sure, we know there used to be kingdoms and fiefdoms and bloody succession battles, but outside of Netflix, those hardly seem relevant today.

If you live in a stable democracy it's easy to assume that government is like a slow moving ship - difficult to change or turn around.

But a short glance through history shows that's not the case at all. Governments change. Democracies come and go. Empires rise and fall - sometimes overnight.

So what does that mean when we look into the far future of our own governments? Or even just a few decades?

This is something that Malka Older has considered more than most. She's a sociologist at Arizona State University and the author of the award-winning Centenal Cycle trilogy. Beginning with the book Infomocracy, the speculative fiction series imagines a world in the not-too-distant future where governments are elected by collectives of a hundred thousand people. These collectives could be corporations, interest groups, or even fans of Hello Kitty.

"A system that was much more granular in terms of how people get to choose, that was much less tied to geography and particularly much less tied to the history of colonialism," she told Spark host Nora Young.

Older said she doesn't necessarily foresee a need for traditional or state governments in the future.

"I've really come to the idea through writing this book, and thinking about it and talking about it a lot, that if we want to have a democracy worth the name, then both information and education need to be considered fundamental parts of democracy," she said.

"These 'Centenals', as they're called, these groups of a hundred thousand people, can vote for any government that they want out of all the governments that exist in the world. There's nothing saying, 'because you're located here, you have to choose between these two political parties'. And so you get this scattering of different kinds of governments all over the world and you have governments that have their constituents similarly scattered all over the world. And so it's a very different approach to the way we can think about government."

We're still learning how to govern

Information is also central to Susan Aaronson's sense of the evolution of government. Aaronson is a senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation in Waterloo, Ont.

She points out that governments, since at least the 18th century, have been generally trusted to hold data and information about citizens. However, today, governments are often "miniscule" compared with corporate titans like Google in terms of the data they possess about individuals.

Governments need to be doing much more to educate their citizens about data-driven technology, especially artificial intelligence, she said.

In Finland, for example, the government offered everyone a free course on AI to give people a better general understanding of how machine learning and data-driven algorithms work.

Governments are often behind the curve when it comes to regulating the large companies like Facebook or Google, in terms of the data they collect and how they use it, and the degree of transparency they offer.

Then there is the fact that many governments are dependent on these companies for data they need. "The U.S. relies very heavily on firms such as Google and Facebook and Amazon to provide services, whether it's cloud services, or AI services, or even Microsoft on training, using immersive tools to train people in the virtual world. And so we're dependent on these companies for our national security," she said.

Obviously, there is a wide disparity in the world when it comes to protecting the data rights of citizens, which is tied to wealth. And unfortunately, Aaronson sees the large tech companies getting bigger and bigger as more data is accumulated. "That's why I hope that we will get more information about the information they have on us and how they can use it," she said.

Despite this, she's optimistic for the future. "We're just learning how to govern, and we're going to make a ton of mistakes, but we're going to learn, and that will make things better."
Written and Produced by Adam Killick.

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What will our sense of "government" be in 2050? | CBC Radio

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If wondering how government will look in the future seems like an odd question, it's hardly surprising. As humans, we tend to believe that the way things are, are generally the way they've always been. And that particularly applies to the idea of "government."

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Upcoming IETF Meetings

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You can customize the agenda view to show only selected sessions, by clicking on groups and areas in the table below. To be able to return to the customized view later, bookmark the resulting URL. Groups displayed in italics are BOFs.

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Not Ready for Prime Time: Why Bill C-11 Leaves the Door Open to CRTC Regulation of User Generated ContentFebruary 3, 2022

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Not Ready for Prime Time: Why Bill C-11 Leaves the Door Open to CRTC Regulation of User Generated ContentFebruary 3, 2022

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Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez introduced the much-anticipated sequel to Bill C-10 yesterday. The minister and his department insisted that the new Bill C-11 addressed the concerns raised with Bill C-10 and that Canadians could be assured that regulating user generated content is off the table. Unfortunately, that simply isn’t the case. The new bill, now billed the Online Streaming Act, restores one exception but adds a new one, leaving the door open for CRTC regulation. Indeed, for all the talk that user generated content is out, the truth is that everything from podcasts to TikTok videos fit neatly into the new exception that gives the CRTC the power to regulate such content as a “program”.

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Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez introduced the much-anticipated sequel to Bill C-10 yesterday. The minister and his department insisted that the new Bill C-11 addressed the concerns raised with Bill C-10 and that Canadians could be assured that regulating user generated content is off the table. Unfortunately, that simply isn't the case. The new bill, now billed the Online Streaming Act, restores one exception but adds a new one, leaving the door open for CRTC regulation. Indeed, for all the talk that user generated content is out, the truth is that everything from podcasts to TikTok videos fit neatly into the new exception that gives the CRTC the power to regulate such content as a "program".

To be fair, the government has tried to assuage some concerns. For example, the CRTC won't regulate specific algorithms as part of its discoverability orders and the bill emphasizes the importance of freedom of expression. However, by leaving much of the original regulatory framework in place and removing some earlier safeguards, the CRTC has been granted enormous regulatory power over Internet services around the world given that the bill's jurisdictional scope features few boundaries.

Three issues in Bill C-11 immediately stand out. First, the question of regulating user generated content, referred to in the bill as content uploaded to a social media service. Canadians will recall that Bill C-10 originally excluded regulating individual users as broadcasters (section 2.1) and their content as programs (section 4.1). The government removed the content exception last April, meaning that while users would not be regulated like broadcasters, their content could be treated as a "program" subject to CRTC regulation. These regulations included discoverability requirements that would allow the CRTC to require platforms to prioritize certain content (and effectively de-prioritize other content).

So how does Bill C-11 address the issue? As a start, the section 4.1 exception for treating user content as programs subject to potential regulation has been restored. When combined with the return of section 2.1 exempting users from being treated as broadcasters, the government is now claiming that it "listened, especially to the concerns around social media, and we've fixed it." But dig a little deeper and it turns out that the bill is not quite as advertised. While Section 4.1 was restored, the government has added 4.1 (2), which creates an exception to the exception. That exception to the exception - in effect a rule that does allow for regulation of content uploaded to a social media service - says that the Act applies to programs as prescribed by regulations that may be created by the CRTC.

The bill continues with a new Section 4.2, which gives the CRTC the instructions for creating those regulations. The result is a legislative pretzel, where the government twists itself around trying to regulate certain content. In particular, it says the CRTC can create regulations that treat content uploaded to social media services as programs by considering three factors:

whether the program that is uploaded to a social media service directly or indirectly generates revenue

if the program has been broadcast by a broadcast undertaking that is either licensed or registered with the CRTC

if the program has been assigned a unique identifier under an international standards system

The law does not tell the CRTC how to weigh these factors. Moreover, there is a further exclusion for content in which neither the user nor the copyright owner receives revenue as well as for visual images only.

All of this may seem complicated, but the bottom line is the CRTC is empowered to create regulations to treat content uploaded to social media services as programs with three criteria to consider (Rodriguez described it as a "sandbox") and content that is only comprised of images or generates no revenue is excluded. That means non-commercial user generated content is out, but the government clearly has a particular issue in mind, namely music on Youtube. Indeed, Rodriguez specifically cited the example of treating a song on Spotify and the same song uploaded to Youtube in an equivalent manner.

The problem is that the government has not limited Bill C-11 to that individual use case. Instead, the three criteria can be applied broadly to many other issues. For example, TikTok videos are uploaded to the service and may generate indirect revenue, the content is available on licensed or registered services, and the music likely has a unique identifier. The same is true for podcasts, which can generate revenue, are often available on registered platforms, and may feature an identifier. Given the broad scope, any podcast platform could be caught by the rules and the individual podcasts would be treated as "programs" under CRTC regulation.

What can the CRTC do from a regulatory perspective to these programs? The two major powers - both holdovers from Bill C-10 - require platforms to make contributions to be determined (likely financial payments) and to enhance the discoverability of Canadian content. On the discoverability front, the bill makes it clear that the CRTC should ensure that any orders are "consistent with freedom of expression enjoyed by users of social media services" (Section 10.1) and it shall not make an order "that would require the use of a specific computer algorithm or source code" (Section 9.1(8)). Left open to the CRTC, however, is the ability to require platforms to prioritize some content over others, whether that is a particular podcast, music genre, or video content. Similarly, the Commission may not tell the platform specifically how to adjust the algorithm but that is a distinction without a difference since it can issue orders on the end result as it is presented to subscribers or users.

In fact, Bill C-11 actually expands the CRTC's powers over user generated content and online undertakings in another important way when compared with Bill C-10. As Bill C-10 made its way through the legislative process, new provisions were added to limit the scope of CRTC orders and regulations over online undertakings and user generated content (Sections 9(3.1) and 10(4)). Those limits have been removed from Bill C-11, which once again opens the door to a far more aggressive CRTC regulatory approach. This includes the prospect of CRTC standard setting as it advances its new media regulation agenda.

Views on the scope of this regulatory approach may vary, but it is undeniable that: (1) regulating content uploaded to social media services through the discoverability requirement is still very much alive for some user generated content; (2) the regulations extend far beyond just music on Youtube; (3) some of the safeguards in Bill C-10 have been removed; and (4) the CRTC is left more powerful than ever with respect to Internet regulation.

Second, in addition to the continued regulation of some Internet content as programs under CRTC rules, the remarkable scope of the bill also remains unchanged. Readers may recall an internal government memo that identified a wide range of targets for Bill C-10 regulation. In fact, the memo noted that bill could cover podcast apps such as Stitcher and Pocket Casts, audiobook services such as Audible, home workout apps, adult websites, sports streaming services such as MLB.TV and DAZN, niche video services such as Britbox, and even news sites such as the BBC and CPAC. The potential scope for regulation is virtually limitless since any audio-visual service anywhere with Canadian subscribers or users is caught by the rules. Bill C-11 maintains the same approach with no specific thresholds or guidance. In other words, the entire audio-visual world is fair game and it will be up to the CRTC to decide whether to exempt some services from regulation.

Third, the uncertainty found in Bill C-10 is also largely unchanged. Bill C-11 tries to include some criteria for defining key provisions such as the user-generated content exception and what constitutes a Canadian creator, but ultimately there's still no easy way to identify Canadian creators when it comes to user generated content, podcasts, or other similar content. Some key terms such as 'social media' are widely used in the bill but not defined at all. Simply put, no one knows how these companies will comply, much less how users will be identified as Canadian for the purposes of the law. The benefits themselves are also uncertain since the CRTC is left to determine many of the requirements in processes that may take years to complete.

There was an opportunity to use the re-introduction of the bill to fully exclude user generated content (no other country in the world regulates content this way), limit the scope of the bill to a manageable size, and create more certainty and guidance for the CRTC. Instead, the government has left the prospect of treating Internet content as programs subject to regulation in place, envisioned the entire globe as subject to Canadian broadcast jurisdiction, increased the power of the regulator, and done little to answer many of the previously unanswered questions. The bill is not ready for prime time and still requires extensive review and further reform to get it right.

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Not Ready for Prime Time: Why Bill C-11 Leaves the Door Open to CRTC Regulation of User Generated Content - Michael Geist

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Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez introduced the much-anticipated sequel to Bill C-10 yesterday. The minister and his department insisted that the new Bill C-11 addressed the concerns raised with Bill C-10 and that Canadians could be assured that regulating user generated content is off the table. Unfortunately, that simply isn't the case.

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IXP  Training
https://www.ixptoolkit.org/

Community Networking Webinars
https://www.internetsociety.org/events/indigenous-connectivity-summit/2020/trainings/community-networks-webinar/

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The ARIN community decides how ARIN will manage and administer Internet number resources. These community decisions are recorded as policies.

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The ARIN community decides how ARIN will manage and administer Internet number resources. These community decisions are recorded as policies.

Policy Development Process

The ARIN Policy Development Process (PDP) is the process by which all policies governing the management of Internet number resources in the ARIN region are developed by and for the ARIN community. Policy development is an open and transparent process. Anyone may participate in the process. A prior relationship as an ARIN member or customer is not a requirement, nor is it a requirement for a person to become a member. The Policy Development Process (PDP) describes the process structure and details how a proposal becomes a policy.

The Public Policy Mailing list

All Draft Policies are discussed on ARIN's Public Policy Mailing List (PPML). The discussion on PPML can cover a variety of policy related topics, and ARIN encourages free discussion.

Posts to the PPML should include the relevant Draft Policy number in the subject field, and should begin with a statement of support or nonsupport for the topic to allow others to follow discussions of interest more easily and make your position clear.

Number Resource Policy Manual

The Number Resource Policy Manual (NRPM) is the repository for all policies. It is updated when new policies are implemented. The change log shows the history of this document.

Draft Policies and Proposals

View Draft Policies and Proposals as well as information about all previous Draft Policies and Proposals. The Policy Archive contains complete information concerning previous policy proposals. A comparative overview of all RIR policies is maintained by the Number Resource Organization (NRO).

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The ARIN community decides how ARIN will manage and administer Internet number resources. These community decisions are recorded as policies. The ARIN Policy Development Process (PDP) is the process by which all policies governing the management of Internet number resources in the ARIN region are developed by and for the ARIN community.

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Domain Incite is a news blog about the domain name business, policy, politics and technology published by TLD Research Ltd (UK company no. 08048392) and edited by industry analyst Kevin Murphy.

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DomainIncite - Domain Name Industry News, Analysis & Opinion

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The Electronic Frontier Foundation thinks the acquisition of Donuts by "secretive" private equity group Ethos Capital represents a risk to free speech.
The deal, which sees Ethos buy a controlling stake from fellow PE firm Abry Partners, closed earlier this week, having apparently received no official objection from ICANN.

But the EFF now wants ICANN to force Donuts to change its gTLD registry contracts to make it harder for the company to engage in what it calls "censorship-for-profit".

The group's senior staff attorney, Mitch Stoltz, raised the issued at the Public Forum session of last week's ICANN 70 virtual public meeting, and expanded upon his thinking in a blog post this week. He wrote:

Donuts already has questionable practices when it comes to safeguarding its users' speech rights. Its contracts with ICANN contain unusual provisions that give Donuts an unreviewable and effectively unlimited right to suspend domain names-causing websites and other internet services to disappear.

He pointed to Donuts' trusted notifier program with the Motion Picture Association, which streamlines the takedown of domains used for pirating movies, as an example of a registry's power to censor.

Donuts runs gTLDs including ones with social benefit meanings that the EFF is particularly concerned about, such as .charity, .community, .fund, .healthcare, .news, and .university.

Stoltz also makes reference to the Domain Protected Marks List, a Donuts service that enables trademark owners to block their marks, and variants, across its entire portfolio of 240+ gTLDs.

In effect, this lets trademark holders "own" words and prevent others from using them as domain names, even in top-level domains that have nothing to do with the products or services for which a trademark is used. It's a legal entitlement that isn't part of any country's trademark law, and it was considered and rejected by ICANN's multistakeholder policy-making community.

The DPML is not unique to Donuts. Competitors such as UNR and MMX have similar services on the market for their gTLDs.

When Stoltz raised the EFF's concerns at last week's ICANN meeting, CEO Göran Marby basically shrugged them off, saying he didn't understand why one PE firm buying an asset off another PE firm was such a big deal.

I have to say I agree with him.

Ethos came under a lot of scrutiny last year when it tried to buy .org manager Public Interest Registry, turning it into a for-profit entity, generating cash for Ethos' still-undisclosed backers.

(This week, Ethos disclosed in a press release that its investors include massive hedge funds The Baupost Group and Neuberger Berman "among others", which appears to be the first time these names have been mentioned in connection with the company).

But a pretty good case could be made that .org is a unique case, that has had a non-profit motive baked into its DNA for decades. That does not apply to Donuts, which was a profit-making venture from the outset.

It's not entirely clear why the EFF is suddenly concerned that Donuts will start exercise its contractual right-to-suspend more frequently under Ethos than under Abry. Stoltz wrote:

As we learned last year during the fight for .ORG, Ethos expects to deliver high returns to its investors while preserving its ability to change the rules for domain name registrants, potentially in harmful ways. Ethos refused meaningful dialogue with domain name users, instead proposing an illusion of public oversight and promoting it with a slick public relations campaign. And private equity investors have a sordid record of buying up vital institutions like hospitals, burdening them with debt, and leaving them financially shaky or even insolvent.

Even with the acquisition passing through ICANN easily, the EFF wants Donuts to change its contracts to make it more difficult for the company to suspend domain names on a whim.

I believe the language causing the controversy comes from anti-abuse policies in the Public Interest Commitments found in almost all Donuts' contracts with ICANN, which state in part:

Registry Operator reserves the right, at its sole discretion and at any time and without limitation, to deny, suspend, cancel, or transfer any registration or transaction, or place any domain name(s) on registry lock, hold, or similar status as it determines necessary for any of the following reasons:

a. to protect the integrity and stability of the registry;

b. to comply with any applicable laws, government rules or requirements, requests of law enforcement, or any dispute resolution process;

c. to comply with the terms of this Registry Agreement and the Registry Operator's Anti-Abuse Policy;

d. registrant fails to keep Whois information accurate and up-to-date;

d. domain name use violates the Registry Operator's acceptable use policies, or a third party's rights or acceptable use policies, including but not limited to the infringement of any copyright or trademark; or

e. as needed during resolution of a dispute.

As a voluntary PIC, this language is unique to Donuts, though other registries have similar provisions in their registry agreements.
ICANN has been slammed by community members after announcing a return to in-person public meetings this year, but only to attendees wearing clown shoes.
The Org said the new rule, which will come into force at ICANN 71 in The Hague this June, was "a bold but necessary measure to enforce social distancing in the pandemic era".

ICANN CEO Göran Marby said in a blog post that the clown shoes will have to be "brightly colored" and a minimum of 3ft (0.91 meters) in length, to ensure attendees are standing at least 6ft (1.82 meters) away from each other at all times.

"ICANN is the most important organization in the world, and it is imperative that we return to in-person meetings as quickly as possible," he wrote.

"As your leader, I firmly believe that a compulsory clown shoes mandate is the best way to achieve this goal," he said.

Clown shoes will be handed out to attendees at the front desk of The Hague Convention Center "after they receive their lanyards but before they receive their anal swab", added VP of global communications Karen K Karenson.

Small teams of ICANN Compliance staff will patrol the halls of the venue, looking for rule-breakers, ICANN warned.

Those found to be not wearing clown shoes will have a bucket of water thrown over them, Marby said.

"I can't stress this enough - it really is water in the bucket," he said. "No, for reals, it's water in there, trust me."

The new policy immediately came under fire from influential community members, including the chair of the GNSO Outrage Committee, They Them.

"I've been coming to ICANN meetings for 20 years," Them said. "If admitting that wasn't humiliating enough, now I've got to wear clown shoes too?"

Them additionally complained that the policy discriminates against less-abled meeting attendees, such as those using wheelchairs.

ICANN said in response that it has purchased a tiny, battery-powered clown car that can comfortably fit up to 25 such community members for as much as 20 minutes before the doors all fall off in a puff of confetti.

The new rule is believed to be the brainchild of ICANN's deputy general counsel, Dave O'Hallorohalloran, who has been wearing clown shoes for his entire career.

Sources say he had been suggesting the clown shoes policy for many years before the pandemic hit.

2 Comments Tagged: april 1
ICANN appears determined to make its decision-making process when it comes to industry consolidation as opaque as possible.
The Org has denied a request from two rival registries for information about how it approved the acquisition of Afilias by Donuts last December, apparently exploiting a loophole in its bylaws.

The transaction got the nod from ICANN after its December 17 board of directors meeting, at which the board discussed the deal and gave CEO Göran Marby the nod to go ahead and process the request.

What it didn't do was pass a formal resolution approving the deal, which seems to have given it the room to wriggle out of its transparency requirements, such as publishing its rationale and briefing materials.

It's a trick it also used last year when it decided to bar Ethos Capital from acquiring Public Interest Registry.

In response to a Documentary Information Disclosure Process request (pdf) last month, filed by Dot Hotel and Domain Venture Partners, ICANN said:

ICANN org makes available, as a matter of due course, on the ICANN website the resolutions taken, preliminary report, minutes, and the Board briefing materials for each Board meeting... ICANN org has already published all materials for the 17 December 2020 Board meeting.

No new information was published.

The DIDP was filed by two applicants for the new gTLD .hotel, which are competing with applications originally filed by both Donuts and Afilias.

They'd also asked for ICANN's rationale for allowing Donuts to own two .hotel applications post-acquisition, but ICANN said it had no documents reflecting that rationale.

The .hotel contest is also the subject of an Independent Review Process case and a lawsuit, in which DVP is a plaintiff.
Growing new gTLD portfolio registry ShortDot has acquired another unwanted dot-brand, .sbs, which it intends to repurpose as an open, generic TLD.
.sbs was originally owned by SBS, for Special Broadcasting Service, an Australian public-service broadcaster. But the company never used it.

Now, while launch plans are still in development, ShortDot intends to relaunch .sbs to mean something entirely different, much as it recently did with .cfd.

".sbs will be branded as shorthand for 'Side by Side', perfect for social causes, charitable organizations and other philanthropic initiatives," ShortDot COO Kevin Kopas told us.

That does not appear to be a meaning of the acronym in common usage.

ShortDot is currently two weeks away from general availability for its next most-recent acquisition, .cfd, which originally stood for the financial term "contracts for difference" but is now being marketed as "clothing and fashion design".

The company, best known for high-volume .icu, which has sold and lost over five million registrations over the last two years, now has five gTLDs in its stable, including unused dot-brand .bond and .cyou.
Indian ccTLD registry NIXI has thrown a life vest to the owners of some 73,000 .in domain names, giving them a way to transfer out of slowly sinking registrar Net 4 India.
NIXI also said that it will not cancel expired domains that registrants have been unable to renew due to Net4's ongoing problems.

"NIXI has decided not to discontinue the .IN Services for those .IN domain end users whose renewal is due," the company said in a statement (pdf).

It sounds rather like registrants will be able to renew directly with the registry. They'll also be able to transfer to a new registrar by emailing NIXI from the address in the Whois or mailing proof of company identity.

Why NIXI has chosen to act now, when Net4's troubles have been known for almost year, is not clear.

"In the recent days, NIXI was informed that Net 4 India, who is one of the registrars of NIXI for Country code domain ".IN" has some issues in maintaining domains," its statement says.

Net4's web site isn't resolving right now, at least for me, which probably has something to do with it.

The company has been in insolvency proceedings since 2017, a fact ICANN discovered when it started missing payments two years ago, but it was not until mid-2020 that Net4's customers started complaining en masse about problems renewing and transferring their domains.

ICANN has processed thousands of complaints since then.

The registrar was told last month that ICANN was terminating its accreditation to sell gTLDs. Registrants of names in .com for example should be pretty safe, with their names automatically transferred to a new registrar, should ICANN follow through on its threat.

The termination was challenged in the insolvency court shortly before it would have become effective two weeks ago.

While ICANN does not believe it is subject to the court's jurisdiction, it has decided to wait for an official ruling on the matter.
Another two .sucks domain names registered by the gTLD's most prolific registrant have been found to be cases of cybersquatting, but now the squatter's true identity is becoming more opaque.
In two recently decided UDRP cases before WIPO, registrant Honey Salt Ltd was found to have cybersquatted by registering and offering for sale bfgoodrich.sucks, uniroyal.sucks and tetrapak.sucks.

While earlier cases filed with the Czech Arbitration Forum had identified Honey Salt as a Turks & Caicos company, the latest few WIPO cases say it is a UK-based company.

However, searches at UK Companies House do not reveal any company matching that name.

The latest WIPO cases also identify an individual allegedly behind said company as a respondent, one "Pat Honeysalt".

That's either a pseudonym, or we've found one of those people who have somehow managed to keep their name out of Google's index despite being well-funded and tech-savvy.

Honey Salt is believed to be the registrant of thousands of .sucks domains, all matching the trademarks of big companies, which all point to Everything.sucks, a wiki-style web site comprising scraped third-party criticism targeting the brands in question.

Its defense in its UDRP cases to date has been that it is providing non-commercial free speech criticism, and that the inclusion of ".sucks" in the domain means users could not possibly believe the site is officially sanctioned by the brand.

All but one UDPR panel has so far not believed this defense, with panelists pointing out that the domains in question are usually listed for sale on the secondary market (sometimes at cost, sometimes at an inflated price).

They further point out that the criticism displayed on the Everything.sucks site was written by third parties, often prior to the registration of the domain in question, so Honey Salt cannot claim to be exercising its own free-speech rights.

Honey Salt is represented in its UDRP cases by the very large US-based law firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, which also represents .sucks registry Vox Populi.
Editor's note: this is a guest post written by Aman Masjide, head of compliance at new gTLD registry Radix. Back in 2014, to foster innovation and to better the choice in domain names, ICANN introduced new generic top-level domains through its New gTLD Program. It was a monumental move that enabled businesses, individuals, and communities across the globe to mark their presence on the internet.
Allowing users to be present digitally in their chosen language (non-ASCII characters and scripts) gave opportunities to local businesses, civil societies, and governments to better serve their communities.

Analysys Mason conservatively estimates that there is scope of $9.8 billion growth in potential revenue from both; existing users who are using new domain names and from new internet users coming online through Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs).

To achieve this, Universal Acceptance of new gTLDs and IDNs is critical in making the Internet more accessible to the next billion users. Founded in February 2015, the Universal Acceptance Steering Group (UASG) undertakes activities to promote Universal Acceptance of all valid domain names and email addresses.

Through its ambassadorship and local Initiative programs, UASG promotes Universal Acceptance globally. Their efforts are divided and executed through five working groups that include:

Technology Working Group

Email Address Internationalization Working Group

Communications Working Group

Measurement Working Group

Local Initiatives Working Group

Before we get into the acceptance of new domain extensions (nTLDs), we must first understand what acceptance means and how it's measured.

The Universal Acceptance Steering Group's mission sums up acceptance in one short statement: "All domain names and all email addresses work in all software applications."

While this is a simple understanding of the concept, for an end user of an nTLD, this statement further branches out into multiple questions such as:

Will my domain name work on all platforms/applications-online or offline?

Will my email address on a new domain extension get accepted on all websites/platforms and pass all the validation tests?

Will my emails on new domain extensions, once accepted, stop going into the junk folder?

Will I be able to use all the features of a website/platform irrespective of my domain extensions? For example, will a social media platform accept a new domain extension in the bio, comments, posts, messenger, etc, and process it exactly like any other legacy TLD?

The Universal Acceptance (UA) of all domain names and email addresses requires that every piece of software is able to accept, validate, process, store, and display them correctly and consistently.

As a new domains registry, it was critical for us to understand what the gaps were and how to close them so that the internet operates the same for nTLD users as it does for the legacy TLD users.

Initial research concluded that UA readiness issues occur when applications are not able to handle the following categories of a domains name or email addresses:

Domain Names

New short top-level domain names: example.fun, example.site

New long top-level domain names: example.berlin, example.space

Internationalized Domain Names: παράδειγμα.ευ

Email Addresses

ASCII@ASCII; new short or long TLD: ekrem@misal.istanbul

ASCII@IDN: john@société.org

Unicode@ASCII: 测试@example.com

Unicode@IDN: ईमेल@उदाहरण.भारत

Unicode@IDN; right to left scripts: لیم@لاثم.عقوم ای

For Universal Acceptance to succeed, it needs to be examined holistically.

Over the years, UASG working group members have conducted several gap analysis on programming languages and frameworks, networking command-line tools, web browsers, websites, and have made great strides in acceptance of new domain extensions.

According to UASG's FY 2020 report, tests conducted on top websites showed that

The acceptance rate of emails on short nTLDs has increased from 91% in 2017 to 98.3% in 2020.

The acceptance rate of emails on long nTLDs has increased from 78% in 2017 to 84.8% in 2020.

Note: The table above compares the 2020 results to the earlier 2017 and 2019 testing results.
Two important caveats should be remembered in this case:

Different email addresses were tested (but they were of the same type).

The websites tested in 2020 were different from previous ones as they were the 50 most popular in the 20 countries rather than the 1,000 most popular globally.

However, these results may still be used to compare overall trends.

Universal Acceptance Readiness Report 2020 (pdf) also segregated test websites as per different categories such as eCommerce, government, education, etc and the results were promising.

Such studies help UASG ambassadors and advocates to identify and focus on websites of a specific category that require immediate attention. We conducted a similar study at Radix where we analysed top websites belonging to different categories. These were the results (click to enlarge):

While the acceptance rates for new short and new long cases is more than 80% under most categories, we see a drastic dip when a domain is on an IDN TLD. Such comparisons highlight problem areas and provide direction to ambassadors and members who are advocating for Universal Acceptance.
Radix's contribution to UASG
UA is something that affects nTLD users the most. This is why it's crucial to focus on the feedback that we receive from them. At Radix, we work closely with our users to ensure we have the first hand information on any UA related issues faced by the customer.

The feedback could be about linkification, validation or acceptance of emails on nTLDs on different websites and platforms. Radix also actively invests its resources in gap analysis by testing various websites and social media platforms. We are also part of the ambassadorship program promoting and supporting local and global UA initiatives.

Here are some of the UASG initiatives that Radix is part of:

At Radix, our objective is to ensure that nTLDs are accepted across websites and platforms. To achieve this, we actively work with UASG and share as many issues and gaps noticed and reported by customers.
Contribution by other registries
A key objective for most registries is to ensure great customer experience when it comes to their nTLDs and I've always admired it when registry operators have actively taken initiative and participated in the five UASG groups mentioned above.

One of the ways to do this is to capture all the queries and complaints reported by their customers/registrar partners and share it with UASG. This will help their support team direct their resources in solving the problems and encouraging those websites to become UA compliant.
Contribution by registrars
When it comes to UA-related issues, registrars are the first in chain to receive a complaint or feedback from the user. Therefore, it's crucial that their support teams have all the necessary information needed on how to best handle such complaints.

For now, they can:

Inform the customer about the potential UA issue and raise a request on behalf of the customer with UASG. Issues can be logged at - https://uasg.tech/global-support-center/

Report these instances to the Registry Operator so that they can connect and follow up with UASG.

Join any of the five working groups and participate.

The path ahead
The UASG is consistently compiling and sharing all the important information needed for organizations and developers to become UA ready. This is not only about ensuring the readiness of a system to accept certain TLDs or emails, but also about realising the full potential of an organization by connecting with people and businesses that might not be even on it's radar.

Every successful step taken by an organization towards UA readiness is also a step towards equality and inclusiveness on the internet.
Guest poster Aman Masjide leads compliance and abuse mitigation at Radix. The odds of a return to in-person ICANN meetings this year is "fifty-fifty", but the Org has no plans to introduce so-called "vaccine passports" to hasten the process.
That's what emerged during a session at ICANN 70, the fourth consecutive remote public meeting since the coronavirus pandemic began, yesterday.

ICANN's mid-year meeting, originally slated for The Hague, was recently confirmed to be online-only this June, and the final meeting of the year, scheduled for October in-person in Seattle, is still far from certain.

Speaking to the Non-Commercial Stakeholders Group, CEO Göran Marby yesterday gave the odds of a Seattle meeting as 50:50, and said in-person meetings will only go ahead when global pandemic restrictions are at a point where people from all parts of the world are able to attend. He said:

We cannot go to a country or a region that sets up too many obstacles for ICANN people to travel there.

...

It could be technically possible for us to have a meeting somewhere with a very limited participation, but then we really have to ask "Should we have that?", because if we can't people into the meeting from different parts of the world, we probably shouldn't do the meeting.

...

Since the beginning of this, we always said that the decisions are made by the people who come to the meetings, and if we can't have enough participation from different stakeholder groups in different parts of the world, then there's not going to be an ICANN meeting.

The return to normality will be dictated largely by vaccine roll-out worldwide, he indicated, but benchmarked against the slowest-to-jab nations.

While the US and UK are making rapid progress getting shots in arms, other nations are barely getting started with their programs.

But Marby ruled out the idea of ICANN-specific "vaccine passports", saying: "It's not for ICANN to set them up, it's going to be the governments and the hotels and the airlines to set them up."

The ICANN board and NCSG also acknowledged a certain degree of volunteer burnout and reduced participation over the last 12 months, which was broadly chalked down to the crippling time-zone problems online meetings entail.

Because ICANN rotates its meetings through broadly speaking three time zones (Americas, Europe, East Asia) with about eight hours between them, at any given meeting roughly two thirds of the community is going to be working well outside of their usual business hours for a week or more, which takes its toll.
Nominet's members this afternoon voted to fire five of the .uk registry's directors, including its chair and CEO, in an unexpectedly tight poll.
There were 2,432,105 votes in favor of the motion to fire Mark Wood, Eleanor Bradley, Ben Hill and Jane Tozer, compared to 2,179,477 against, which works out to 52.74% for and 47.26% against.

Members get allotted votes according to how many domains under management they have, capped at 3% of the total cross-membership vote count.

In the end, it appears that the vote was swung by a small handful of larger registrars. Tucows and Namecheap were the largest registrars to say they would vote for the board cull.

Turnout was 53.5% of eligible voters, which I gather is extraordinarily high for a Nominet member vote. The full results are here (pdf).

The original motion also named CEO Russell Haworth, but he quit his board seat and executive role yesterday.

Bradley and Hill, respectively managing director of the registry and CFO, have left the board but keep their staff jobs.

Rob Binns is now acting chair, Nominet said.

The vote took place at an Extraordinary General Meeting held virtually this afternoon, which was called for after 5% of Nominet's registrar/domainer members signed a petition at PublicBenefit.uk.

The campaign was orchestrated by Simon Blacker of the registrar Krystal Hosting, reflecting growing displeasure among members about Nominet's strategic direction and lack of member engagement.

After the result was announced this hour, Blackler was quick to hail it as "a watershed moment in Nominet's history", saying that it "demonstrates the resolve of the membership to restore its original purpose", in a letter (pdf) to the "remnant" board.

He went on to call for the campaign's original two picks for chair and vice-chair replacements - Sir Michael Lyons and Axel Pawlik - to be appointed to the board on an interim basis.

The EGM, which lasted for about an hour, saw directors repeatedly acknowledge and occasionally apologize for taking too long to recognize the breadth and depth of members' concerns, promising to turn things around.

The key theme to emerge was that the company is now on the same page as its members and is committed to addressing their concerns, but that eliminating almost half of the 11-person board would delay these actions by months.

Wood also reiterated that the threat of UK government intervention is real, should it be perceived that Nominet - a piece of critical infrastructure in all but name - was becoming unstable.

The EGM result was due around 1800 UTC but was delayed by more than three hours, apparently due to the higher than expected turnout.
With the almost inevitable prospect of being fired by Nominet's membership this afternoon, CEO Russell Haworth yesterday quit the company.
He will leave both the board of directors and the corner office after a "short transition" and by "mutual consent", the board announced. Interim leadership will be announced later.

Chair Mark Wood said in a statement: "The board appreciates his decision to step down now at a time when it is clear the company needs to consider its future direction."

The announcement came a day before Nominet, the .uk registry, holds an Emergency General Meeting called by its membership of registrars and domainers, unhappy with the direction the company has taken over the five years of Haworth's leadership.

He has faced criticism for diversifying the business outside of core registry services, inflating his own salary, increasing domain prices, ignoring member input, and slashing the amount of money given to public benefit causes.

Wood's own position is still precarious - the EGM, which came about after a petition at PublicBenefit.uk secured the support of 5% of Nominet's members, will in a matter of hours consider a motion to fire Haworth, Wood and three other directors.

A second motion, to install two new hand-picked directors who promised to reconfigure the registry's strategy, did not make the agenda as Nominet says it is not compatible with the company's own rules on director selection.

With Haworth's departure evidently some kind of 11th-hour queen sacrifice, Wood made one last public plea to the PublicBenefit.uk campaign, which is led by Krystal Hosting's Simon Blackler, to back off.

He told members that Nominet has already moved to address many of their concerns: freezing (although not lowering) domain prices, freezing board/executive compensation, donating more profit to worthy causes, and creating new channels for membership engagement. He wrote:

Nominet is not a standard company. It is a membership organisation, and the members need to buy into the company's strategy. It is clear many do not.

Simon Blackler's campaign tapped into this discontent, and we have seen his support grow. At the same time, I have also had the opportunity to speak with a large number of members of different types and sizes all around the world. I have heard consistently that Nominet should focus on registry, that they want better member involvement in decision-making, and that more of our financial reserves should be devoted to public benefit activity. That input should set the framework for where Nominet moves next. And the journey should begin at once.

...

With the vote now upon us, I think it no longer really matters which way the result goes. The campaign has had its desired impact, reinforced by the dialogue we have had with so many members. We are all moving in the same direction and aiming to achieve the same objectives.

He went on to double-down on claims that the UK government may exercise its decade-old statutory powers to step in and take over the registry, if it detects the company has been destabilized.

I was not scaremongering in warning that government are also watching developments very closely. The .UK registry and our cyber platforms are key parts of critical national infrastructure, and they cannot be put at risk from internal upheaval at Nominet. We have been questioned in detail about developments and have been told bluntly that the government is dusting off its intervention powers under the 2010 Digital Communications Act. We must tread carefully.

The last-minute olive branch and warning combo is probably not enough to save Wood's bacon, however.

On Twitter, the PublicBenefit.uk campaign this morning continued to call for "the immediate appointment of Sir Michael and Axel Pawlik", the two men it backs to become chair and vice-chair respectively.

The members-only EGM will be held at 1500 UTC today. PublicBenefit has secured the support of almost 30% of members' voting rights, including those of large registrars Tucows and Namecheap, but it only needs a simple majority of those who actually show up to the (virtual) meeting today in order to get its resolution passed. Such meetings are historically lightly attended.

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Domain Incite - Domain Name Industry News, Analysis & Opinion

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The Electronic Frontier Foundation thinks the acquisition of Donuts by "secretive" private equity group Ethos Capital represents a risk to free speech. The deal, which sees Ethos buy a controlling stake from fellow PE firm Abry Partners, closed earlier this week, having apparently received no official objection from ICANN.

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PIR to offer industry FREE domain abuse clearinghouse

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PIR to offer industry FREE domain abuse clearinghouse

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The DNS Abuse Institute will soon launch a free service designed to make it easier to report abuse and for registries and registrars to act upon it.

The Institute, which is funded by .org manager Public Interest Registry, is working on a system provisionally called CART, for Centralized Abuse Reporting Tool, an ambitious project that would act as a clearinghouse for abuse reports across the industry.

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Domain Incite - Domain Name Industry News, Analysis & Opinion

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The DNS Abuse Institute will soon launch a free service designed to make it easier to report abuse and for registries and registrars to act upon it.
The Institute, which is funded by .org manager Public Interest Registry, is working on a system provisionally called CART, for Centralized Abuse Reporting Tool, an ambitious project that would act as a clearinghouse for abuse reports across the industry.

The plan is to offer the service for free to reporters and registrars alike, with a beta being offered to registrars late next month and a public launch hopefully before ICANN 74 in June.

DNSAI director Graeme Bunton said that CART is meant to solve the "mess" of current abuse reporting systems.

For abuse reporters, the idea is to give them a one-stop shop for their reports. CART would take their complaints, normalize them, furnish them with additional information from sources such as Whois records and domain block-lists, and shunt them off to the registrar of record.

"Registrars get boatloads of abuse reports every day," Bunton said. "Hundreds to thousands. They're often duplicative, often unevidenced - almost always. There's no standardization. So they're having to spend a lot of time reading and parsing these abuse reports."

"They're spending a huge amount of time triaging tickets that don't make the internet any better," he said. "It felt like trying to solve this problem across every individual registry and registrar was not going to work, and that a centralizing function that sits in the middle and absorbs a lot of the complexity would make a real difference, and we've been working towards that."

CART reporters would be authenticated, and their reports would be filed through forms that normalized the data to make them easier for registrars to understand. There will be "evidence requirements" to submit a report.

"It's a common lament that the abuse@ email that registrars have to publish are filled with garbage," Bunton said. "This is intended to clean that up, as well as make it easier for reporters."

Registrars will be able to white-label these forms on their own sites, replacing or adding to existing reporting mechanisms, which will hopefully drive adoption of the tool, Bunton said.

Registrars will be able to use an API to pull the abuse feed into their existing ticketing workflows, or simply receive the reports via email.

The plan is to send these enhanced reports to registrars' publicly listed abuse@ addresses, whether they opt into the CART system or not, Bunton said.

One feature idea - possibly in a version 2 release - is to have a reputation-scoring function in which registrars can flag reporters as reliable, facilitating on-the-fly "trusted notifier" relationships.

While the DNSAI is focusing to the industry definition of "DNS abuse" - phishing, pharming, malware, botnets and a subset of spam - the plan is to not limit reporters to just those categories.

Copyright infringement claims, for example, would be acceptable forms of abuse report, if the registrar enables that option when they embed the CART forms on their own sites.

CART will most likely be renamed to something with "better mass-market appeal" before it launches, Bunton said, but there will be no charge to reporters or registrars.

"This is all free, with no plans to do cost-recovery or anything like that," he said.

While Bunton didn't want to comment, I think it's unlikely that these projects would be going ahead, at least not for free, had PIR been turned into a for-profit company under its proposed acquisition by Ethos Capital, which was blocked by ICANN a couple of years ago.

A second project DNSAI is working on is called Intelligence.

This will be somewhat similar to ICANN's own Domain Abuse Activity Reporting (DAAR) system, but with greater granularity, such as giving the ability to see abuse trends by registry or registrar.

The current plan is to have a preview of Intelligence available in June, with a launch in July.

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PIR to offer industry FREE domain abuse clearinghouse - Domain Incite

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The DNS Abuse Institute will soon launch a free service designed to make it easier to report abuse and for registries and registrars to act upon it.

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Presentation at VSIG by Vint Cerf

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VSIG  Group C  Session History with Vint Cerf

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Discussion of the Policy Process used by the GNSO

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VSIG  Group C : Session  Internet Actors with Keith Drazek,  VP  Verisign and Former  GNSO Chair

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Bridging The Digital Divide Canada | FlipHTML5

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LIR Training Course

RIPE Database Training Course

Basic IPv6 Training Course

BGP Operation and Security Training Course

Advanced IPv6 Training Course

IPv6 Security Training Course

Measurements and Tools Training Course
https://www.ripe.net/support/training/courses

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Courses

Internet Resource Management

IXP deployment

Introduction to SDN

IPv6 Deployment

MPLS

DNS/DNSSEC

Network Security

Internet Routing

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Some reflections from conducting two virtual training sessions for network operators in Pakistan and Mongolia.

APNIC Trainers are always reminding those managing networks of the age-old principle to keep it simple, stupid.

The APNIC Virtual Training Program, includes live webinars, online tutorials, virtual labs, and self-paced courses, delivered through the APNIC Academy.

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Some reflections from conducting two virtual training sessions for network operators in Pakistan and Mongolia. APNIC Trainers are always reminding those managing networks of the age-old principle to keep it simple, stupid. The APNIC Virtual Training Program, includes live webinars, online tutorials, virtual labs, and self-paced courses, delivered through the APNIC Academy.

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The experts and tutors who are part of the Training Center are
always up to date with the latest information on the implementation of new technologies related to Internet resources, including IPv6, cybersecurity, IXPs, RPKI, DNSSEC and other topics.

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A través de esta plataforma, buscamos crear un espacio de aprendizaje accesible y colaborativo sobre temas técnicos de Internet. El Campus ofrece material multimedia didáctico y práctico, capacitaciones en modalidades auto-asistida y asistida por un tutor, y la posibilidad de acceder desde cualquier dispositivo conectado a Internet.

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A través de esta plataforma, buscamos crear un espacio de aprendizaje accesible y colaborativo sobre temas técnicos de Internet. El Campus ofrece material multimedia didáctico y práctico, capacitaciones en modalidades auto-asistida y asistida por un tutor, y la posibilidad de acceder desde cualquier dispositivo conectado a Internet.

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Make the most of all ARIN has to offer by participating in our training and education opportunities. We offer a free library of resources for the ARIN community that will allow you to:

Access on-demand resources to help you utilize our tools and services

Participate in webinars (or view archival footage) on a wide range of topics, including IPv6, RPKI, and ARIN’s Policy Development Process

Download handouts and other materials for your use or to conduct your own educational outreach within your organization

View how-to videos on completing common tasks in ARIN Online

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Make the most of all ARIN has to offer by participating in our training and education opportunities. We offer a free library of resources for the ARIN community that will allow you to:

Access on-demand resources to help you utilize our tools and services

Participate in webinars (or view archival footage) on a wide range of topics, including IPv6, RPKI, and ARIN's Policy Development Process

Download handouts and other materials for your use or to conduct your own educational outreach within your organization

View how-to videos on completing common tasks in ARIN Online

Is there something you'd like to see here? Contact us at training@arin.net!

ARIN Leadership Development Program

Learn more about ARIN's Leadership Development Program, designed to develop future leaders from diverse backgrounds and geographic representation and encourage their ongoing engagement with ARIN.

Instructional Webinars

ARIN produces regular instructional webinars designed to provide in-depth looks at some of ARIN's core functions and services.

Resource Materials

ARIN has provided a collection of handouts and aids for understanding ARIN, and the general topic of Internet number resources.

ARIN Online Help Videos

View our help videos and let us walk you through some of the most common actions customers take using their ARIN account so you can easily navigate our system.

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Make the most of all ARIN has to offer by participating in our training and education opportunities.

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Industry Network Technology Council (INTC) and the India Internet Engineering Society (IIESoc) INTC is a nonprofit membership organization that brings enterprises, academia, and government organizations together to promote education and collaboration on current and evolving Internet Standards in a vendor-neutral environment

Courses

Neighbor Discovery:

Lab: Neighbor Discovery:

IPv6 Address Planning:

Lab: IPv6 Address Planning:

IPv6 Transition Mechanisms:

Lab: IPv6 Transition Mechanisms:

DHCPv6:

Lab: DHCPv6:

IPv6 and Cloud:

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INTC | Industry Network Technology Council

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Damon Ashcraft on Trademark and Copyright 

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Damon Ashcraft on Trademark and Copyright 

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VSIG Group C:  Live Chat on Legal Issues with Damon Ashcraft

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Sustainable Connectivity

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VSIG Group C Live Chat  Group C Economic Module  with  Dr. Luca Belli

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Overview of the new DNS Abuse Institute
https://youtu.be/UV7H1-YTKOg

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A discussion on ISOC's efforts on Community Networking

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VSIG Group  C  Development Module  Discussion with Jane Coffin, VP ISOC

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1. Introduction to Internet Governance

2. E-Diplomacy

3. Internet Technology and Policy: Challenges and Solutions

4. Cybersecurity

5. Artificial Intelligence: Technology, Governance, and Policy Frameworks

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Towards more inclusive and effective diplomacy | DiploFoundation

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Diplo works to increase the role of small and developing states, and to improve global governance and international policy development.

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The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) serves to bring people together from various stakeholder groups as equals, in discussions on public policy issues relating to the Internet. While there is no negotiated outcome, the IGF informs and inspires those with policy-making power in both the public and private sectors.  At their annual meeting delegates discuss, exchange information and share good practices with each other. The IGF facilitates a common understanding of how to maximize Internet opportunities and address risks and challenges that arise.

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Online training courses are available to anyone with Internet access and are provided free of charge. Please login or register to view and access the courses available listed below: Courses Available for Registered Users Principles of Internet Governance Open Government Data for Citizen Engagement (being finalized).

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Data Privacy, Security & Governance
https://academy.itu.int/sites/default/files/media2/file/ICTP%20Training%20Outline%20Data%20Privacy%20Security%20Governance.pdf

Future Broadband: Ultra-broadband Internet, Clouds, IoT and Artificial Intelligence
https://academy.itu.int/sites/default/files/media2/file/Future%20Broadband%20Ultra-broadband%20Internet%2C%20Clouds%2C%20IoT%20andArtificial%20Intelligence.pdf
Developing IoT, Big Data and Blockchain solutions for Smart sustainable cities
ICT Accessibility - The key to inclusive communication

Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC)
https://academy.itu.int/sites/default/files/media2/file/Course%20Outline_DNSSEC_26421_0.pdf

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Here you can find information about training activities offered by ITU Academy and its partners, as well as, more information on the development of training programmes.

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The Dynamic Spectrum Alliance (DSA) is a global, cross-industry, not for profit organization advocating for laws, regulations, and economic best practices that will lead to more efficient utilization of spectrum and foster innovation and affordable connectivity for all.

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Dr. Olivier Crepin Leblond on IG History

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Dr. Olivier Crepin Leblond on IG History

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An extensive video on IG History

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VSIG Group B Live Chat  History of the Internet with Dr. Olivier Crepin-Leblond

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Wired Norms

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VSIG Group B - Human Rights with Dr. Niels ten Overs

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Economics and Internet Governance Issues

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VSIG Live Session Group B: Economics with  Desiree Zeljka Miloshevic

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The GSMA Capacity Building programme offers an extensive range of free training courses for policymakers and regulators.

Since the programme’s launch in 2013, we have delivered over 13,000 training days to participants from more than 160 countries, with over 90 per cent course satisfaction.

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Mobile is one of the most dynamic sectors in technology. Authorities may face a growing skills and knowledge gap to keep pace with industry developments.

Policymakers and regulators play a key role in shaping the way the industry responds to key issues and challenges. This means it is vital they keep pace with the latest developments. The GSMA's courses help students understand the implications of different policy and regulatory approaches and how they affect the delivery of mobile services to consumers, by emphasising real-world examples of regulatory best practice from different regions around the world.

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Mobile is one of the most dynamic sectors in technology. Authorities may face a growing skills and knowledge gap to keep pace with industry developments. Policymakers and regulators play a key role in shaping the way the industry responds to key issues and challenges. This means it is vital they keep pace with the latest developments.

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Legal issues and the Internet Impact Assessment Tools

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VSIG Live Chat, Group B  Legal Issues with Leon Sanchez

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Amrita Choudhary on Social and Cultural issues

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Amrita Choudhary on Social and Cultural issues

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Overview of Social and Cultural issues in Internet Governance

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VSIG Group B Live Chat; Social And Cultural Issues with Amrita Choudhary

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CircleID is the world's leading platform for Internet developments with more than 5200 professional participants worldwide.

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Public Interest Registry (PIR), the non-profit operator of the .org top-level domain, today launched the DNS Abuse Institute, a centralized effort to combat DNS Abuse. In its news release, PIR said the Institute "will bring together leaders in the anti-abuse space to fund research, publish recommended practices, share data, and provide tools to identify and report DNS Abuse."

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers organization (ICANN org) announced that all of the current 1,195 generic top-level domains (gTLDs) have deployed Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC).

According to an announcement on Monday, the Internet Society has agreed to extend its existing financial commitment to the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) for an additional term of six years.

Views: 10,732 - Add Comment
Related Topics: Internet Protocol

The WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center on Monday announced it had registered its 50,000th "cybersquatting" case. The 50,000th case just received by WIPO coincides with the organization's 20th anniversary on November 20, 2020.

Views: 8,551 - Add Comment
Related Topics: Domain Names, UDRP

A group of experts from Interisle Consulting Group released a paper today, reporting a comprehensive study of the phishing landscape in 2020. The study's goal was to capture and analyze a large set of information about phishing attacks to better understand how much phishing is taking place, where it is taking place, and better ways to fight them.

Due to increased legislative interest in this topic, CENTR says there is a pressing need for comprehensive educational material on the technical capabilities of the DNS, ccTLDs and their role in the internet ecosystem.

RIPE NCC and CENTR have released a statement today in response to the upcoming European Commission's Digital Services Act, urging policymakers to distinguish between the Internet's core infrastructure and operations.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) on Monday announced its Pandemic Internet Access Program Pilot for the upcoming ICANN69 meetings.

Views: 11,660 - Add Comment
Related Topics: Broadband, ICANN

On Monday, the Trump administration announced plans to auction off 100 megahertz of mid-band spectrum dedicated initially to military purposes for commercial use starting in mid-2022 to fuel 5G network deployment in the United States.

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CircleID - Breaking Internet News, Opinions and Blogs

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Public Interest Registry (PIR), the non-profit operator of the .org top-level domain, today launched the DNS Abuse Institute, a centralized effort to combat DNS Abuse. In its news release, PIR said the Institute "will bring together leaders in the anti-abuse space to fund research, publish recommended practices, share data, and provide tools to identify and report DNS Abuse."

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An overview on Internet Society of MANRS programme

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VSIG  Group B: Live Chat Module  Security:  MANRS with ISOC  Kevin Meynell

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A personal journey on Internet Governance with Marilyn Cade

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VSIG  Session Two Live Session with   Marilyn Cade

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Every Wednesday from April 7 – May 26 at 1 PM ET

Registration
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__nZJLzopQxKHONK5yUUQBA

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The Net Inclusion Conference has been a staple in the Digital Inclusion community since 2016, bringing hundreds of practitioners, advocates, academics, internet service providers, and policymakers together to share their knowledge. With social distancing still in place, NDIA will once again hold an online version of Net Inclusion to substitute the in-person conference. We look forward to seeing our community in person again as soon as it is safe for everyone to travel and gather.

This Series will include eight one-hour webinars, every Wednesday from April 7th through May 26th at 1 PM ET. All webinars include an additional 30-minute wrap-up for conversation and Q&A with panelists and fellow participants.

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The Net Inclusion Conference has been a staple in the Digital Inclusion community since 2016, bringing hundreds of practitioners, advocates, academics, internet service providers, and policymakers together to share their knowledge. With social distancing still in place, NDIA will once again hold an online version of Net Inclusion to substitute the in-person conference.

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IGF-USA 2021 Registration is Open!

Registration for the IGF-USA 2021 is now officially open! The conference will be held on July 14-15, and once again will be virtual.

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Join us on July 14 & 15 for a two days of deep dives in the most important issues facing the Internet!

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EuroDIG 2021 will take place from 28 – 30 June 2021. This includes a Day 0 in which organisations and initiatives can present their work, and engage with the community, followed by two full days of multi-stakeholder workshops and high-level debates.

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The European Dialogue on Internet Governance (EuroDIG) is an open multi-stakeholder platform to exchange views about the Internet and how it is governed. First organised in 2008 by several organisations, government representatives and experts, it fosters dialogue and collaboration with the Internet community on public policy for the Internet - culminating in an annual conference that takes place in a different European city every year. EuroDIG 'Messages' are prepared and presented to the Internet Governance Forum (IGF).

Get involved!
EuroDIG 2021 will take place from 28 - 30 June 2021. This includes a Day 0 in which organisations and initiatives can present their work, and engage with the community, followed by two full days of multi-stakeholder workshops and high-level debates. We are planning a hybrid format, with both an on-site event, at the International...

European IG initiatives
Get to know them.

A European-Swiss not-for-profit association according to Swiss Civil Code, Art. 60 to 79, was created on 15 June 2012 in Stockholm, under the name "EuroDIG Support Association" (hereafter "the Association").
YIGF Russia & Call for Org Teams
Youth IGF Russia The First Youth Russian Internet Governance Forum is going to take place on 6 April, 2021. In this virtual event, participants from across the globe will be able to discuss the development of the digital cooperation and youth-related aspects of Internet governance, as well as to share their ideas and solutions. You can find more information and the registration on http://youth.rigf.ru/en#conf
Call for Org Teams EuroDIG2021 is happening in three months already ...

Go to Newsletter
Join Org Teams!
Consolidated programme is available The programme for EuroDIG2021, taking place June 28 to 30, can now be found on the EuroDIGWiki. The wiki is the central space for the collaborative session planning, which is at the heart of EuroDIG, with a template for every session, deadlines for planning steps and possibilities to share information and resources. We encourage you to have a look at the different topics and formats and get a wiki account by emailing wiki@eurodig.org.
Are you interested in contributing to sessions? ...

Go to Newsletter
EuroDIG Extra Vol. II tomorrow
Comment period for draft programme is over
Thank you for giving feedback on the draft programme for the next EuroDIG (June 28-30, 2021). Based on the received comments, no substantial changes are necessary, but the timing will be adjusted. You will be able to find the consolidated programme on the EuroDIG Wiki in the upcoming days.
Join EuroDIG Extra tomorrow
Tomorrow, March 3 at 9:00 UTC, we invite you to join the second EuroDIG Extra session, ...

Go to Newsletter

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The European Dialogue on Internet Governance (EuroDIG) is an open multi-stakeholder platform to exchange views about the Internet and how it is governed. First organised in 2008 by several organisations, government representatives and experts, it fosters dialogue and collaboration with the Internet community on public policy for the Internet - culminating in an annual conference that takes place in a different European city every year.

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Internet Governance Forum
Nov | 2 - 6, 2021

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The 16th annual IGF meeting will be hosted by the Government of Poland in Katowice from 6-10 December, under the overarching theme: Internet United. The MAG identified main focus areas and is working on developing concrete IGF 2021 (sub)themes. Summary of inputs received in a response to the consultations on para 93(a) of the Roadmap for Digital Cooperation.

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Accelerating the Sustainable Development Goals

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The future will see large parts of our lives influenced by Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology. Machines can execute repetitive tasks with complete precision, and with recent advances in AI, machines are gaining the ability to learn, improve and make calculated decisions in ways that will enable them to perform tasks previously thought to rely on human experience, creativity, and ingenuity.

We have less than 10 years to solve the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). AI holds great promise by capitalizing on the unprecedented quantities of data now being generated on sentiment behaviour, human health, commerce, communications, migration and more.

The AI for Good series is the leading action-oriented, global & inclusive United Nations platform on AI. The Summit is organized all year, always online, in Geneva by the ITU with XPRIZE Foundation in partnership with over 35 sister United Nations agencies, Switzerland and ACM. The goal is to identify practical applications of AI and scale those solutions for global impact.

Organized by

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The future will see large parts of our lives influenced by Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology. Machines can execute repetitive tasks with complete precision, and with recent advances in AI, machines are gaining the ability to learn, improve and make calculated decisions in ways that will enable them to perform tasks previously thought to rely on human experience, creativity, and ingenuity.

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Prof Joanna Kulezsa, University of Lodz, Polan

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VSIG Session Seven :  Legal Issues  with Joanna  Kuleska

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The Domain Name System (DNS) Abuse Institute is tasked with creating outcomes-based initiatives that will create recommended practices, foster collaboration, and develop industry-shared solutions to combat the five areas of DNS Abuse: malware, botnets, phishing, pharming, and related spam. The Instituted was created by Public Interest Registry, the registry operator for the .ORG top-level domain.

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DNS Abuse Institute - Fighting DNS Abuse with innovative and powerful solutions

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The DNS Abuse Institute is focused on helping the Internet community identify and report DNS abuse, establish best practices, fund DNS research, and share data.

Discover what's new at the Institute!

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Read More Bringing People Together to combat dns abuse Read More INNOVATIVE DNS ABUSE SOLUTIONS FOR ALL Read More THE BEST RESOURCES AND TOOLS FOR DNS ABUSE PREVENTION Read More JOIN US IN THE FIGHT AGAINST DNS ABUSE DNS Abuse Institute News The DNS Abuse Institute is focused on helping the Internet community identify and ...

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A comprehensive guide to all the latest gadgets, websites, games and computer industry news.

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Catch up with Click

You can watch the latest episode of Click through BBC iPlayer by clicking the link at the top of this page.

If you would like to see features and clips from the programme then visit Click's website.

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Exploring the latest tech innovations shaping our lives.

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inSIG2021 to be hosted by Chennai Chapter

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inSIG2021 to be hosted by Chennai Chapter

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The 2021 edition of inSIG will be hosted by ISOC India Chennai Chapter. The location and dates are being currently discussed and will be made available by April 2021.

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inSIG2021 to be hosted by Chennai Chapter

The 2021 edition of inSIG will be hosted by ISOC India Chennai Chapter. The location and dates are being currently discussed and will be made available by April 2021.

Please mail the organizers at info@insig.in for any inquiries.

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India School on Internet Governance 2021

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The 2021 edition of inSIG will be hosted by ISOC India Chennai Chapter. The location and dates are being currently discussed and will be made available by April 2021. Please mail the organizers at info@insig.in for any inquiries.

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TechUp: AXIS Program in India, Philippines and Beyond
+ 17th April | 15th May | 19th June
2pm - 4:30pm | 4pm - 6:30pm
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdJ55r__VWAVIPcrliH_EL-XsQRVq9-zMsDKtsyY5U37T_meg/viewform

Asia Meetup
+ April 21st
Delhi 13:30 (UTC+5:30) / Taipei-Kuala Lumpur 16:00 (UTC+8) / Tokyo
17:00 (UTC+9) / NYC 4am (EST)
https://internetfreedomfestival.org/wiki/index.php/Asia_Monthly_Meetups

Latin America Meetup
+ April 22nd
5:30pm Mexico (UTC-5) / 6:30pm Chile (UTC-4) / 10:30pm UTC+0
https://internetfreedomfestival.org/wiki/index.php/Latin_American_Monthly_Meetups

Feminist Funding & Autonomous Resourcing | Glitter Meetup
Featured Guest: AWID
+  April 29
9am EST / 1pm UTC
https://internetfreedomfestival.org/wiki/index.php/April_29_2021_GM

Coffee Talk with Matt Mitchell
+ April 29
12pm EST / 4pm UTC+0
https://digitalrights.formstack.com/forms/cks38

Africa Meetup
+ May 5
3pm CAT / UTC+2
https://internetfreedomfestival.org/wiki/index.php/Africa_Monthly_Meetups

Security and Protection Management for Human Rights Defenders and
Social Organisations
+ May 10th - July 31st, 2021
https://www.protectioninternational.org/en/news/e-learning-programme-new-edition-security-and-protection-management-human-rights-defenders-and

CKS: Remote Online Harassment During COVID19: How To Study Harm,
Trauma and Violence Online with an Intersectional and Racial Justice
Lens
+ May 13
2pm EDT / 6pm UTC+0
https://digitalrights.formstack.com/forms/cks39

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The early bird deadline for registration is Monday, February 7th.
Be sure to register before the deadline passes!
Register online at: https://registration.ietf.org/113/

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Onsite Registration Options

Remote Registration Options

List of Registration Fees

Registration Information

Week Pass or Student registration fee is for all or any part of the meeting and includes admission to all working group sessions, plenaries, welcome reception (cash bar) and afternoon break refreshments. Part of the fee is used to support other IETF activities, such as RFC Editor, Secretariat and IETF LLC administration services.

The one day pass registration fee includes access to any one day of meeting sessions and breaks, plus the Sunday Tutorials & Reception, and the Plenaries.

Payment Options: MasterCard, Discover, Visa, American Express and PayPal.

Please note that VAT is not included in the listed registration rates.

For payments made after 1200 local time Saturday, March 19, 2022, please visit the on-site registration check-in when you arrive on site.

VAT Information

All meeting fees are subject to a VAT of %20.0, which is not included in the above schedule of fees.

Letters Of Invitation

After you complete the registration process, you will be given the option of requesting a Letter of Invitation. You can request the Letter of Invitation as soon as you finish registration, or at a later time by following the link provided in the confirmation email.

Companion Registration

You may register a friend or family member aged 18 or older for the companions program if desired. The registration fee of $25.00 USD includes:

The IETF Welcome Reception.

Companions' Email List to facilitate communications among the companions.

Companions' Meeting Badge for access to the venue (not to be used to attend working sessions).

Cancellation/Refund Policy

1. Cancellations and requests for refunds must be received by Monday, March 14, 2022. Refund requests will not be honored beyond this point.

2. For registration fees paid via credit card, refunds will only be issued to the credit card originally charged.

3. Contact the IETF Registrar, support@ietf.org, to cancel and request a refund.

Recordings

The IETF routinely makes recordings of online and in-person meetings, including audio, video and photographs, and publishes those recordings online. If you participate in person and choose not to wear a red "do-not-photograph" lanyard, then you consent to appear in such recordings and if you speak at a microphone, appear on a panel or carry out an official duty as a member of IETF leadership then you consent to appearing in recordings of you at that time. If you participate online, and turn on your camera and/or microphone, then you consent to appear in such recordings. This consent cannot be later withdrawn.

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List of Registration Fees Registration Information Week Pass or Student registration fee is for all or any part of the meeting and includes admission to all working group sessions, plenaries, welcome reception (cash bar) and afternoon break refreshments. Part of the fee is used to support other IETF activities, such as RFC Editor, Secretariat and IETF LLC administration services.

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Join us for a discussion on

digital access issues in Social Housing in Toronto.
Guest LECTURE

Michel Mersereau

Tuesday, May 25, 2021
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89923898137?pwd=RHI3Z1hFKzBLQ1hCaFhKM3g4akJpZz09

Meeting ID: 899 2389 8137

Passcode: 253082

13:00 EDT or 17:00 UTC

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Dynamic Spectrum Alliance Virtual Global Summit June 8 – 10, 2021

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Dynamic Spectrum Alliance Virtual Global Summit June 8 – 10, 2021

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Free event but you must register

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Cybersecurity Threat Intelligence to Canada’s Research and Education Sector.

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CANARIE announced today that its Cybersecurity Initiatives Program (CIP) will fund the Canadian Shared Security Operations Centre (CanSSOC) to deliver its Threat Feed service to eligible research and education (R&E) organizations at no cost. The CanSSOC Threat Feed uniquely serves the R&E sector by identifying emerging threats based on intelligence shared among national and global partners.

The Threat Feed aggregates and curates threat intelligence from public and private cybersecurity organizations and open-source feeds to deploy directly into organizations' existing firewalls to block malicious traffic. Once deployed, the service gives organizations the flexibility to automatically block suspicious activity or to manually monitor and prioritize threats. The Feed consolidates and curates threats observed and shared within R&E organizations, providing real-time intelligence about threats specifically targeted at the sector.

A nationally focused entity that delivers collaborative cybersecurity services to the R&E sector, CanSSOC was created by seed investment and leadership from McGill University, McMaster University, Ryerson University, University of Alberta, University of British Columbia, and University of Toronto to investigate how Canada's higher education sector can share services for greater visibility and mitigation of cybersecurity threats.

Launched in November 2020, the CIP funds priority initiatives that strengthen the cybersecurity of Canada's research and education sector with advanced technologies, improved processes, and broadened expertise. These initiatives are reviewed and recommended for funding by the Cybersecurity Advisory Committee and delivered to eligible organizations through the provincial and territorial partners in Canada's National Research and Education Network (NREN), in which CANARIE is the federal partner. To date, 77% of Canadian R&E organizations have enrolled in the CIP. The first funded initiative, the CIRA D-Zone DNS Firewall, is now in use by nearly 82% of CIP participants.

How to Participate

To opt-in for the CanSSOC Threat Feed initiative, organizations must first enrol in the Cybersecurity Initiatives Program. To confirm your organization's eligibility for the CIP or to initiate enrolment, please contact the NREN Partner in your province or territory. Given their ongoing engagement with member organizations in their jurisdictions, CANARIE's NREN Partners play a critical role in delivering funded initiatives.

Organizations that have already enrolled in the CIP will be contacted by NREN Partners with instructions for opting in for the Threat Feed initiative. Organizations that are already participating in the CanSSOC Threat Feed Pilot can continue to use the service but must also enrol in the CIP.

All initiatives funded through the CIP are intended to integrate with each other to strengthen cybersecurity at the organization level, and in turn the overall security of the entire sector.

Learn More at Upcoming Webinars

To learn more about the CanSSOC Threat Feed initiative and how it could benefit your organization, please register for an upcoming webinar:

Intelligent Defence: Partnering to Detect and Respond to Cyber Attacks

Who should attend: CIOs, CISOs, Directors of IT and/or cybersecurity professionals at Canadian R&E organizations

To read more about the CIP and view a list of FAQs, please visit: canarie.ca/cybersecurity

About CANARIE

CANARIE connects Canadians to each other and to the world. Our programs equip Canadian researchers, students, and startups to excel on the global stage.

Together with our thirteen provincial and territorial partners, we form Canada's National Research and Education Network (NREN). This ultra-high-speed network connects Canada's researchers, educators, and innovators to each other and to global data, technology, and colleagues.

Beyond the network, we fund and promote the development of software for research and national efforts to manage data generated from research. To strengthen the security of Canada's research and education sector, we collaborate with our partners in the NREN, government, academia, and the private sector to fund, implement, and support cybersecurity initiatives. We also provide identity management services to the academic community and boost Canada's startups with cloud resources and expertise in emerging technologies.

Established in 1993, we are a non-profit corporation, with most of our funding provided by the Government of Canada.

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New Funding to Deliver CanSSOC Cybersecurity Threat Intelligence to Canada's Research and Education Sector - CANARIE

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CANARIE announced today that its Cybersecurity Initiatives Program (CIP) will fund the Canadian Shared Security Operations Centre (CanSSOC) to deliver its Threat Feed service to eligible research and education (R&E) organizations at no cost. The CanSSOC Threat Feed uniquely serves the R&E sector by identifying emerging threats based on intelligence shared among national and global partners.

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Online training by ISOCbrian

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While we have included a number of tutorials on DNSSEC in our site, this page lists providers of longer training classes, online training sessions or course materials that could be used to create such sessions.

Course Materials

NLnet Labs DNSSEC Training Materials - Slides in PowerPoint, Keynote and PDF for a 2-day DNSSEC training course freely available for distribution and modification under a Creative Commons license.

Online Training

Non-profit/NGO Training Providers

The following non-profit/NGO organizations provide DNSSEC-related training, often either free or at a minimal cost:

Commercial Training Providers

Do you know of additional sites we should consider adding here? If so, please send them to us.

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While we have included a number of tutorials on DNSSEC in our site, this page lists providers of longer training classes, online training sessions or course materials that could be used to create such sessions. Course Materials NLnet Labs DNSSEC Training Materials - Slides in PowerPoint, Keynote and PDF for a 2-day DNSSEC training course [...]

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NANOG 82 Virtual Hackathon

Saturday + Sunday, June 12-13, 2021

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Let's Hack!

NANOG 82 Virtual Hackathon

Saturday + Sunday, June 12-13, 2021

An essential part of NANOG conferences, our hackathons are designed to be both fun and engaging, as well as a platform to build community and foster greater networking and programming knowledge. NANOG Hackathons are hands-on, and educational at their core - directly supporting the most critical aspects of our mission. All levels are welcome to participate, and as always, registration is free.

The Hackathon starts at 1:00pm EDT, Saturday, June 12 with a brief welcome and introduction. The hacking ends at 5:00pm EDT, Sunday, June 13, when the team presentations will begin. The Hackathon will conclude around 6:00pm EDT Sunday, June 13.

We have dedicated Support/Help Hours on Saturday from 1:00pm - 4:00pm EDT and again on Sunday from 12:00pm - 5:00pm EDT.

Theme: Interacting with APIs

The NANOG 82 Virtual Hackathon will focus on the theme of Interacting with APIs. This covers SSH, REST, NETCONF, and gRPC/gNMI for network devices, online peering databases and internet registries, and network management software. Utilizing collaboration services from Zoom and Slack along with lab infrastructure consisting of virtualized devices from several vendors, hackathon participants can work individually, or self-organize into teams to work on software passion projects.

Work independently, or with the help of a mentor

Besides providing you with some general projects ideas, if you're still having trouble getting started, we will also provide documentation on some popular software packages. Hack mentorship will also be provided throughout both days of the event. For those who are new to coding, you can spend Saturday following along with one of our mentors as they live code a basic service, and then build something yourself afterward.

Collaborate via Slack

Prior to the hackathon, you'll receive an invitation to our Slack workspace so you can begin collaborating. All who participate will have an opportunity to present their work (presentations will end around 6:00 pm on Sunday). Please take a moment to review the Hackathon Terms and Conditions before attending the hack.

If you'd like to participate, but aren't sure where to start, please reach out to us: [email protected] . We have lots of topic ideas to share.

See you in June! Until then, happy hacking.

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Saturday + Sunday, June 12-13, 2021 An essential part of NANOG conferences, our hackathons are designed to be both fun and engaging, as well as a platform to build community and foster greater networking and programming knowledge. NANOG Hackathons are hands-on, and educational at their core - directly supporting the most critical aspects of our mission.

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The Elements of AI is a series of free online courses created by Reaktor and the University of Helsinki. We want to encourage as broad a group of people as possible to learn what AI is, what can (and can’t) be done with AI, and how to start creating AI methods. The courses combine theory with practical exercises and can be completed at your own pace.

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In spring 2018, MinnaLearn and the University of Helsinki came together with the aim of helping people to be empowered, not threatened, by artificial intelligence. Together, they built the Elements of AI to teach the basics of AI to people from a wide range of backgrounds.

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A free online introduction to artificial intelligence for non-experts

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Learn more about MinnaLearn's and the University of Helsinki's AI course - no programming or complicated math required.

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*** Upcoming Virtual Events ***

@ May 26 | LATAM Meetup
https://internetfreedomfestival.org/wiki/index.php/Latin_American_Monthly_Meetups

@ June 2 | Africa Meetup
https://internetfreedomfestival.org/wiki/index.php/Africa_Monthly_Meetups

@June 3 | Algorithmic Diversity: Zero Exclusion, AI & Ethics (AI &
Human Rights) https://internetfreedomfestival.org/wiki/index.php/June_3_2021_GM

@ June 9 | Nonprofit Management 101: Understanding the Basics of
Running a Nonprofit
https://digitalrights.formstack.com/forms/cks44

@ June 14 | CKS: Design, Human Rights, and Harm
https://digitalrights.formstack.com/forms/cks43

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Are you interested in becoming more involved in the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) community and learning more about the behind-the-scenes work of ARIN? Apply now through Wednesday, 25 February 2022 to be a part of the ARIN Virtual Fellowship Program.

The Virtual Fellowship Program consists of four structured 90-minute sessions held on Tuesday afternoons from 5 April through 3 May. Fellows will also be asked to attend the ARIN 49 Public Policy and Members Meeting, either virtually or in person, from 24-27 April.

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Apply Today to ARIN’s Virtual Fellowship Program for ARIN 49

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Are you interested in becoming more involved in the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) community and learning more about the behind-the-scenes work of ARIN? Apply now through Wednesday, 25 February 2022 to be a part of the ARIN Virtual Fellowship Program.
The Virtual Fellowship Program co…

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Open Tech Fellowships

If you have any questions, please post them in this public spreadsheet and they will be answered in a prompt fashion. If your question is not appropriate for a public forum, please email icfp@opentech.fund.OTF’s Information Controls Fellowship Program (ICFP) is open for applications for its ninth fellowship cohort, with a final deadline of March 13, 2022

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The Open Technology Fund (OTF) has selected three individuals as the newest Information Controls Fellowship Program (ICFP) fellows. The group will focus on advancing research, analysis, and tool development on topics related to Internet censorship.

This latest ICFP cohort is made up of individuals from multiple disciplines. The common thread uniting this group is their focus on the constantly evolving techniques used in China to carry out censorship in order to advance existing mechanisms to overcome it.

We are thrilled to welcome the 2020 ICFP fellows and can confirm they're projects are underway, already making exciting progress as they begin work with their host organizations. Be sure to check back for a summary of each fellow's project outputs (The outputs for the latest class of fellows can be found here).

The incoming fellows, along with their areas of focus, are:
Hoàng Nguyên Phong
Host organization: Citizen Lab, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, University of Toronto

Duration: Twelve months

During his previous OTF fellowship in 2018, Phong discovered the prevalence of this abusive DNS poisoning design in which IP addresses owned by many U.S. companies, including Facebook, Twitter, and SoftLayer are heavily used in forged DNS responses. A preliminary report for this line of work was recently presented at USENIX FOCI '20. Throughout this project, Phong will work with Citizen Lab to build a dashboard that is expected to provide useful data for other researchers and insights about censored domains as well as the forged IP addresses being abused. Ultimately, these findings will hopefully be able to assist in the development of potential solutions to bypass and reduce the impact of China's Great Firewall (GFW) DNS-based blocking.
Information Controls Fellow
Host organization: Not Public

Duration: Twelve months

From embedding text in images to rearranging word order of online posts, netizens in China continue to come up with creative ways to post content deemed sensitive by the government while evading censorship. The project seeks to systematically analyze the cost in the adoption and consumption of user-generated censorship circumvention techniques. In doing so, it aims to identify techniques that users can easily replicate while still being effective at communicating the intended message.
Information Controls Fellow
Host organization: Not Public

Duration: Twelve months

The fellow will investigate the underlying mechanisms used by China's GFW to identify and block various popular censorship circumvention protocols. There have been many reports from the users that their censorship circumvention servers were blocked. At the same time, preliminary experiments suggest that these censorship circumvention servers have been actively probed by the GFW. The fellow will investigate the underlying mechanisms used by the GFW to identify and block these popular censorship circumvention protocols. The fellow will then provide practical suggestions in building more censorship-resistant protocols.

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The Open Technology Fund (OTF)'s Information Controls Fellowship Program (ICFP) supports examination into how governments in countries, regions, or areas of OTF's core focus are restricting the free flow of information, impeding access to the open Internet, and implementing censorship mechanisms, thereby threatening the ability of global citizens to exercise basic human rights and democracy. The program supports fellows to work within host organizations that are established centers of expertise by offering competitively paid fellowships for three, six, nine, or twelve months in duration.

To learn more about the ICFP, click here.

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Announcing OTF's Latest Class of Information Controls Fellows

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The Open Technology Fund (OTF) has selected three individuals as the newest Information Controls Fellowship Program (ICFP) fellows. The group will focus on advancing research, analysis, and tool development on topics related to Internet censorship. This latest ICFP cohort is made up of individuals from multiple disciplines.

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ISOC Early Career Fellowship Announcement

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ISOC Early Career Fellowship Announcement

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The Early Career Fellowship offers unparalleled access to world-class experts, including American University’s Professor Dr. Laura DeNardis and eminent scholars from the Oxford Internet Institute. It also offers project management, advocacy, and diplomacy know-how, providing the foundation for Fellows to become future champions of the Internet.

A cohort of 15 Fellows is selected twice a year to participate in the 5-month program. Fellows can develop their knowledge and skills through seminars, events, courses, discussion sessions, and project work. They will also have networking, mentoring, and collaboration opportunities. The program culminates in a final project presentation by each fellow at a closing symposium.

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Early Career Fellows - February 2022 - Internet Society

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Meet the young professionals who are shaping the future of the Internet in our February 2022 Early Career Fellowship program.

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Today, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) opened the Fellowship Program application round for the ICANN75 Annual General Meeting. The meeting is scheduled for 17–22 September 2022 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. If ICANN75 is held virtually, the Fellowship Program will also be held virtually. The deadline to apply is 3 March 2022 at 23:59 UTC. Successful candidates will be announced on 17 May 2022 on https://icann.org.

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Today, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) opened the Fellowship Program application round for the ICANN75 Annual General Meeting. The meeting is scheduled for 17-22 September 2022 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. If ICANN75 is held virtually, the Fellowship Program will also be held virtually. The deadline to apply is 3 March 2022 at 23:59 UTC. Successful candidates will be announced on 17 May 2022 on https://icann.org.

About the ICANN Fellowship Program

The Fellowship Program seeks individuals who are interested or already engaged in the various aspects of ICANN's work, such as policy building, the operation of the Domain Name System, and the security and stability of the global Internet. The goal of the ICANN Fellowship Program is to strengthen the diversity of the multistakeholder model by creating opportunities for individuals from under-served and under-represented communities to become active participants in the ICANN community.

To learn more about the ICANN Fellowship Program, click here.

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Apply Now for the ICANN75 Fellowship Program

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ICANN opened the Fellowship Program application round for the ICANN75 Annual General Meeting.

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July 2st

APNIC Policy Framework and Development Process

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APNIC Academy / APNIC Policy Framework and Development Process

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17 May - 25 June 2021

Participants will gain the practical skills and information required to discuss specific aspects of digital policy, including:

cross-border data flows and data localisation,

e-signatures and authentication,

online consumer protection and privacy,

cybersecurity, and

access to the source code.

The course adopts a ‘just-in-time’ approach, focusing on ongoing digital trade negotiations and policy processes taki

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This course provides an interdisciplinary coverage of digital commerce, from both digital and trade perspectives. It builds the knowledge and capacity of participants to engage in digital commerce-related negotiations and discussions on the multilateral and bilateral levels. It is aimed at diplomats, in particular those based in Geneva, staff of trade-related international organisations, and capital-based officials, from developing countries and least developed countries (LDCs). The course is offered by DiploFoundation (Diplo), CUTS International Geneva, the International Trade Centre (ITC), and the Geneva Internet Platform (GIP).

Participants will gain the practical skills and information required to discuss specific aspects of digital policy, including:

cross-border data flows and data localisation,

e-signatures and authentication,

online consumer protection and privacy,

cybersecurity, and

access to the source code.

The course adopts a 'just-in-time' approach, focusing on ongoing digital trade negotiations and policy processes taking place in International Geneva. It will cover discussions on digital commerce in preparation for the 12th World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference (MC12), scheduled from 30 November to 3 December 2021.

Open for applications:
Yes

Application deadline:
12 May 2021

Start date:
17 May 2021

Duration:
6 weeks

Fees:
990 CHF. Full fee waiver available for selected participants

Mode(s) of study:
Certificate

Contact us

Register for this course

Ms Yasmin IsmailResearch Fellow at CUTS International Geneva

Ms Yasmin Ismail is a Research Fellow at CUTS International Geneva since March 2019. Her research interests include the WTO institutional reform, new issues under the WTO including e-commerce, Africa integration and China-Africa relations. Yasmin holds two Masters' degrees in Economics of Development and in International and European Law from the University of Grenoble-Alpes in France. Prior to joining CUTS, Yasmin was a Projects Manager at Global Partners Governance, Ltd. a UK based International Consultancy specialised in designing and implementing institutional and governance reform projects in the Middle East and developing countries. She also served as a specialist in International Cooperation at the Egyptian Cabinet Information and Decision Support Centre.

Mr Rashid S. KaukabExecutive Director, CUTS International Geneva

Rashid S. Kaukab is Executive Director, CUTS International Geneva, Switzerland. One of his key responsibilities is to develop, implement and evaluate technical assistance and capacity building projects and programmes for developing and least-developed countries, including on WTO discussions/negotiations. He worked for the government of Pakistan as a field administrator, in the ministry of finance, and as Counsellor on trade and economic issues in Pakistan Mission to the UN/WTO in Geneva before joining the Geneva-based South Centre in March 1998 where he worked as Coordinator of South Centre Work Programme on Trade and Development, as Head, Strategic Policy and Planning, and as Acting Head, Programme and Research Coordination. He has also worked for UNCTAD as a Senior Consultant. Trade and development is the broad area of his interest and he has contributed a number of articles and papers on issues related to trade and development and global economic governance. He has lectured at several research and academic institutions including Grenoble University, France, CASIN, Geneva, and GC University, Lahore, Pakistan. He is a member Governing Board, and also teaches at the Trade Policy Training Centre in Africa (TRAPCA), Arusha, Tanzania. He holds a Masters Degree in Economics (Karachi University) and Business Administration (Yale University).

Dr Jovan KurbalijaExecutive Director

Dr Jovan Kurbalija is the Executive Director of DiploFoundation and Head of the Geneva Internet Platform (GIP). He was a member of the UN Working Group on Internet Governance (2004‒2005), special advisor to the Chairman of the UN Internet Governance Forum (2006‒2010), and a member of the High Level Multistakeholder Committee for NETmundial (2013‒2014). In 2018-2019, he served as co-Executive Director of the Secretariat of the United Nations (UN) High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation.

A former diplomat, Jovan has a professional and academic background in international law, diplomacy, and information technology. He has been a pioneer in the field of cyber diplomacy since 1992 when he established the Unit for Information Technology and Diplomacy at the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies in Malta, and later, DiploFoundation.

Since 1997, Jovan's research and articles on cyber diplomacy have shaped research and policy discussion on the impact of the Internet on diplomacy and international relations. His book, An Introduction to Internet Governance, has been translated into 9 languages and is used as a textbook for academic courses worldwide. He lectures on e-diplomacy and Internet governance in academic and training institutions in many countries, including Austria (Diplomatic Academy of Vienna), Belgium (College of Europe), Switzerland (University of St Gallen), Malta (University of Malta), and the United States (University of Southern California).

His publishes regular articles on DiploFoundation's blog, and the Huffington Post.

Ms Marília MacielDigital Policy Senior Researcher

Brazilian-born Ms Marília Maciel is currently based in Strasbourg, France. She is involved in several Internet- governance-related projects, notably on the fields of digital economy, e-commerce, and cybersecurity. She also curates the topics of e-commerce, Access and Digital Divide for the GIP Digital Watch Observatory and represents Diplo at various meetings.

Prior to joining Diplo, Ms Marília Maciel was a researcher and coordinator of the Center for Technology and Society of the Getulio Vargas Foundation (CTS/FGV) in Rio de Janeiro. She served as a councillor at ICANN´s Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) representing the Non-Commercial Stakeholder Group (NCSG). Marília is a former member of the Working Group on Improvements to the Internet Governance Forum (2011-2012), created under the auspices of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development (UN CSTD). She was also a member of the Multistakeholder Executive Committee of NETmundial and represented CTS/FGV in meetings of the Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). She served in the Consultative Chamber on Internet Security and Rights of the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br).

Marília is a PhD candidate at the University of Bordeaux Montaigne, on Information and Communication Sciences. She holds an MA in Latin American Integration from the Federal University of Santa Maria (2008) and a law degree from the Federal University of Pernambuco (2005), where she was awarded a research grant from the State of Pernambuco Research Foundation (FACEPE) to investigate issues related to taxation and electronic commerce.

Mr Quan ZhaoTrade Policy Advisor, Office of the Chief Economist, International Trade Center

Mr Quan Zhao is trade policy advisor in the Office of the Chief Economist, International Trade Centre (ITC). His main portfolio at the ITC includes policy research and project management in the areas of trade in services, e-commerce, digital economy and cross-border investment; he also advises the management on G20 matters.

Prior to joining the ITC, Zhao served as a trade negotiator and diplomat at the Permanent Mission of China to the World Trade Organization (2009-2014) and the Ministry of Commerce of China (2003-2009). He has served as the Chair for WTO's Committee on Trade in Financial Services, and as the lead services negotiator in China-Peru, China-Costa Rica and China-Pakistan FTAs. Zhao holds a master's degree in international law and economics from the World Trade Institute at the University of Bern.

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Digital Commerce course in Geneva | DiploFoundation

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This course provides an interdisciplinary coverage of digital commerce, from both digital and trade perspectives. It builds the knowledge and capacity of participants to engage in digital commerce-related negotiations and discussions on the multilateral and bilateral levels.

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NARALO Chair  providing greetings to all students at the Universal Acceptance course  on Feb 3, 2022

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Universal Acceptance Course- Cohost by NARALO

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Universal Acceptance Course- Cohost by NARALO

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Analysys Mason conservatively estimates that there is scope of $9.8 billion growth in potential revenue from both; existing users who are using new domain names and from new internet users coming online through Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs).

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Back in 2014, to foster innovation and to better the choice in domain names, ICANN introduced new generic top-level domains through its New gTLD Program. It was a monumental move that enabled businesses, individuals, and communities across the globe to mark their presence on the Internet.

Allowing users to be present digitally in their chosen language (non-ASCII characters and scripts) gave opportunities to local businesses, civil societies, and governments to better serve their communities.

Analysys Mason conservatively estimates that there is scope of $9.8 billion growth in potential revenue from both; existing users who are using new domain names and from new internet users coming online through Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs).

To achieve this, Universal Acceptance of new gTLDs and IDNs is critical in making the Internet more accessible to the next billion users. Founded in February 2015, the Universal Acceptance Steering Group (UASG) undertakes activities to promote Universal Acceptance of all valid domain names and email addresses.

Through its ambassadorship and local Initiative programs, UASG promotes Universal Acceptance globally. Their efforts are divided and executed through five working groups that include:

1. Technology Working Group

2. Email Address Internationalization Working Group

3. Communications Working Group

4. Measurement Working Group

5. Local Initiatives Working Group

The story so far

Before we get into the acceptance of new domain extensions (nTLDs), we must first understand what acceptance means and how it's measured.

The Universal Acceptance Steering Group's mission sums up acceptance in one short statement,
"All domain names and all email addresses work in all software applications."
While this is a simple understanding of the concept, for an end-user of an nTLD, this statement further branches out into multiple questions such as:

Will my domain name work on all platforms/applications-online or offline?

Will my email address on a new domain extension get accepted on all websites/platforms and pass all the validation tests?

Will my emails on new domain extensions, once accepted, stop going into the junk folder?

Will I be able to use all the features of a website/platform irrespective of my domain extensions? For example, will a social media platform accept a new domain extension in the bio, comments, posts, messenger, etc, and process it exactly like any other legacy TLD?

The Universal Acceptance (UA) of all domain names and email addresses requires that every software is able to accept, validate, process, store, and display them correctly and consistently.

As a new domains registry, it was critical for us to understand what the gaps were and how to close them so that the Internet operates the same for nTLD users as it does for the legacy TLD users.

Initial research concluded that UA readiness issues occur when applications are not able to handle the following categories of a domains name or email addresses:

1. Domain Names

1. New short top-level domain names: example.fun, example.site

2. New long top-level domain names: example.berlin, example.space

3. Internationalized Domain Names: ??????????.??

2. Email Addresses

For Universal Acceptance to succeed, it needs to be examined holistically.

Over the years, UASG working group members have conducted several gap analysis on programming languages and frameworks, networking command-line tools, web browsers, websites and have made great strides in the acceptance of new domain extensions.

According to UASG's FY 2020 report, tests conducted on top websites showed that

The acceptance rate of emails on short nTLDs has increased from 91% in 2017 to 98.3% in 2020.

The acceptance rate of emails on long nTLDs has increased from 78% in 2017 to 84.8% in 2020.

The table compares the 2020 results to the earlier 2017 and 2019 testing results.

Two important caveats should be remembered in this case:

1. Different email addresses were tested (but they were of the same type).

2. The websites tested in 2020 were different from previous ones as they were the 50 most popular in the 20 countries rather than the 1,000 most popular globally.

However, these results may still be used to compare overall trends.

Universal Acceptance Readiness Report 2020 also segregated test websites as per different categories such as eCommerce, government, education, etc and the results were promising.

Such studies help UASG ambassadors and advocates to identify and focus on websites of a specific category that require immediate attention. We conducted a similar study at Radix, where we analyzed top websites belonging to different categories. These were the results:

While the acceptance rates for new short and new long cases is more than 80% under most categories, we see a drastic dip when a domain is on an IDN TLD. Such comparisons highlight problem areas and provide direction to ambassadors and members who are advocating for Universal Acceptance.

Radix's contribution to UASG

UA is something that affects nTLD users the most. This is why it's crucial to focus on the feedback that we receive from them. At Radix, we work closely with our users to ensure we have first hand information on any UA-related issues faced by the customer.

The feedback could be about linkification, validation, or acceptance of emails on nTLDs on different websites and platforms. Radix also actively invests its resources in gap analysis by testing various websites and social media platforms. We are also part of the ambassadorship program promoting and supporting local and global UA initiatives.

Here are some of the UASG initiatives that Radix is part of:

Participating in the Technical And Measurement working group

Participating in workshops on Universal Acceptance such as:

Sharing gaps and issues reported by customers to UASG

At Radix, our objective is to ensure that nTLDs are accepted across websites and platforms. To achieve this, we actively work with UASG and share as many issues, and gaps noticed and reported by customers.

Contribution by other registries

A key objective for most registries is to ensure great customer experience when it comes to their nTLDs and I've always admired it when registry operators have actively taken initiative and participated in the five UASG groups mentioned above.

One of the ways to do this is to capture all the queries and complaints reported by their customers/registrar partners and share them with UASG. This will help their support team direct their resources in solving the problems and encouraging those websites to become UA compliant.

Contribution by registrars

When it comes to UA-related issues, registrars are the first in chain to receive a complaint or feedback from the user. Therefore, it's crucial that their support teams have all the necessary information needed on how to best handle such complaints.

For now, they can:

The path ahead

The UASG is consistently compiling and sharing all the important information needed for organizations and developers to become UA-ready. This is not only about ensuring the readiness of a system to accept certain TLDs or emails, but also about realizing the full potential of an organization by connecting with people and businesses that might not even be on its radar.

Every successful step taken by an organization towards UA readiness is also a step towards equality and inclusiveness on the Internet.

This article was originally posted as a guest post on DomainIncite.com

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Universal Acceptance - Making the Internet Work for Everyone

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Back in 2014, to foster innovation and to better the choice in domain names, ICANN introduced new generic top-level domains through its New gTLD Program. It was a monumental move that enabled businesses, individuals, and communities across the globe to mark their presence on the Internet.

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Research
https://online.fliphtml5.com/gnel/ildt/

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Universal Acceptance Steering Group (UASG)

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Universal Acceptance Steering Group //*.*/ UASG

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The UASG objective is to help software developers & website owners understand how to update their systems to keep pace with an evolving domain name system.

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UASG 027 Country-based Evaluation of Websites for Acceptance of Email Addresses in 2020 EN

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UASG 027 Country-based Evaluation of Websites for Acceptance of Email Addresses in 2020 EN

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Universal Acceptance Steering Group (UASG)

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UASG 027 Country-based Evaluation of Websites for Acceptance of Email Addresses in 2020 EN - Universal Acceptance Steering Group (UASG)

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A follow up to testing done in 2018 and 2019 (UASG025), this document evaluates the acceptance rates of internationalized email addresses by websites in different countries.