The idea of requiring authentication for access to the global Whois information has some merit. However, this change should not be made independently by each RIR but should be coordinated across the entire Internet Registry ecosystem.
If each RIR implements such a change independently, individuals and organizations must create an account relationship with the five RIRs to access each RIR's portion of the total global Whois information. This seems onerous for those with a legitimate need for access to the information and for the RIRs, each of whom has to maintain accounts for everyone who needs to access the totality of the global Whois information. A less onerous solution would be for the RIRs to create an access federation that allows access to the totality of the global Whois information to organizations or individuals with accounts from the other RIRs. Furthermore, this federation could be extended to NIRs, international law enforcement agencies, or other organizations with legitimate interests in accessing global Whois information. The primary goal of such a change should not be to limit who has essential access to global Whois information. But to ensure a minimal level of accountability for those who have access to global Whois information. The current system, with anonymous access to the global Whois information, has a complete lack of accountability for those with access. Thanks. -- =============================================== David Farmer Email:[email protected] Networking & Telecommunication Services Office of Information Technology University of Minnesota 2218 University Ave SE Phone: 612-626-0815 Minneapolis, MN 55414-3029 Cell: 612-812-9952 ===============================================
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