ICANN has given its approval for the establishment of a Whois Disclosure System, following the disruptive impact of Europe's GDPR regulations on Whois access six years ago.



The system, however, is expected to undergo a name change before its launch, as it currently does not ensure or process the disclosure of private Whois data.

In a resolution passed by the board of directors on February 27, the development and launch of the WHOIS Disclosure System (System) was mandated within 11 months from the date of the resolution, as requested by the GNSO Council. This timeline represents a two-month extension from the original expectations. Therefore, it is possible that within a year, a live system will be available for registration and usage.

It is anticipated that the system will be built upon the existing Centralized Zone Data Service (CZDS), which has been utilized by many to request and download gTLD zone files over the past decade. While CZDS may not be flawless, it has progressively improved over time and will serve as the foundation for the new ticketing system. This system will enable IP lawyers and others to request unredacted Whois records, which will then be forwarded to the relevant registrar.

This is a simplified version of what Whois users had originally requested. Participation by both parties involved in the transaction is voluntary, and registrars are not required to approve the requests.

In the event that the system remains unused, it may be deactivated. ICANN Org's responsibility is limited to running the system for a maximum of two years. ICANN plans to collect and publish data on its usage to determine if the significant investment of time and money into its development has been worthwhile.

The projected cost of development and operation was estimated at $3.3 million, but the board's resolution suggests that the majority of expenses will be covered by existing staff, with any additional costs being drawn from the Supplemental Fund for Implementation of Community Recommendations (SFICR).