It appears that the purpose of the NTIA order directing Neustar to prohibit proxy registrations of .US, is to provide Neustar a legal basis for requiring actual registrant data. That then allows testing of the nexis requirements of http://www.nic.us/policies/docs/ustld_nexus_requirements.pdf. Neustar’s current contract with registrants appears to allow requiring compliance with that NTIA order.
However, some board members consider that requirement an unnecessary invasion of privacy, which I agree with. That is because theoretically, NTIA could have simply required Neustar to obtain but NOT publish (only make visible to Neustar in a shadow whois) the registrant data behind the proxy. However, that may have required more costs than currently contractually required of Neustar (eg. costs including programming, yada yada).
NTIA’s order appears to be a legal way to contractually allow Neustar to require the registrant data, but Neustar’s implementation of the order is deficient in that it could be considered to be an invasion of privacy by some. Consideration should have been made to the legitimate need to use a proxy (avoid stalkers, etc.). Neustar, in my opinion, could have alternately offered to replace all proxies with their own proxy (for a fee). The goal of the NTIA order would then have been achieved, in addition to maintaining anonymity of legitimate registrants who require it.
There is saying “you can only have two of these three: cheap, quick, and good” Accordingly, I consider the first two of those three achieved.
However, some board members consider that requirement an unnecessary invasion of privacy, which I agree with. That is because theoretically, NTIA could have simply required Neustar to obtain but NOT publish (only make visible to Neustar in a shadow whois) the registrant data behind the proxy. However, that may have required more costs than currently contractually required of Neustar (eg. costs including programming, yada yada).
NTIA’s order appears to be a legal way to contractually allow Neustar to require the registrant data, but Neustar’s implementation of the order is deficient in that it could be considered to be an invasion of privacy by some. Consideration should have been made to the legitimate need to use a proxy (avoid stalkers, etc.). Neustar, in my opinion, could have alternately offered to replace all proxies with their own proxy (for a fee). The goal of the NTIA order would then have been achieved, in addition to maintaining anonymity of legitimate registrants who require it.
There is saying “you can only have two of these three: cheap, quick, and good” Accordingly, I consider the first two of those three achieved.
