discuss Possible sanctions for Russia and Russians in the field of domain names

[Igor Gabrielan]

The authorities of Ukraine turned to the ICANN with a request to block the domain zone .ru and other domain zones of Russia.
Is it possible to block all domain names owned by Russians, that is, in zones .com .org .uk , etc.?
Now there are restrictions and sanctions for Cuba and Iran for the zones .cu .ir .
Probably there are restrictions for other states. But how wide are they? Can similar or even greater sanctions be applied to Russia?

 

[-EM-]

ICANN doesn't have control over ccTLDs.
"Is it possible to block all domain names owned by Russians, that is, in zones .com .org .uk , etc.?"
No.

 

[Igor Gabrielan]

ICANN doesn't have control over ccTLDs.
"Is it possible to block all domain names owned by Russians, that is, in zones .com .org .uk , etc.?"
No.

Who controls ccTLDs?

 

[bmugford]

I mentioned this in another thread, but ICANN should be a neutral 3rd party and treated like a regulated utility.
They should not be messing with people's domains, the DNS root servers, etc.

If private companies take some type of action that is another story, but ICANN should (and will) stay out of it IMO.

Brad

 

[Igor Gabrielan]

I mentioned this in another thread, but ICANN should be a neutral 3rd party and treated like a regulated utility.
They should not be messing with people's domains, the DNS root servers, etc.

If private companies take some type of action that is another story, but ICANN should (and will) stay out of it IMO.

Brad

Have there been other discussions of this on this forum before?
But does ICANN have the technical capabilities to implement the sanctions I'm talking about (blocking Russia's domain zones .ru .РФ ...)?

 

[boker]

Who controls ccTLDs?

Each country's government, so ICANN can't ban .ru. They have power over .com and .org, but not over .uk, the UK government it's running the last one's. What they can do, and not necessary ICANN, but governments of each country, can ban ip's from Russia or block them for each country, by the government or block tens of thousands of .com or .ru at a time. China it's doing this at a large scale, Russia it's doing this for some western and local domains and even european countries block some. I owned a 5L .com taken down by ICANN, in a bulk of 130k .com domains, without even not letting me know.

 

[Igor Gabrielan]

Regarding private companies

https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/1/22956581/russia-ukraine-namecheap-ends-service-war-crimes

 

[bmugford]

Have there been other discussions of this on this forum before?
But does ICANN have the technical capabilities to implement the sanctions I'm talking about (blocking Russia's domain zones .ru .РФ ...)?

Do they have the technical abilities....could they comb the WHOIS databases and disable every domain with a Russian registrant? I guess.

They also have a large role when it comes to the root servers.

Generally ICANN is not looking to make waves. They have already rightfully (IMO) rejected to get involved.

If they were compelled by a government to act, that is another story...and a very slippery slope.

Brad

 

[Igor Gabrielan]

Do they have the technical abilities....could they comb the WHOIS databases and disable every domain with a Russian registrant? I guess.

They also have a large role when it comes to the root servers.

Generally ICANN is not looking to make waves. They have already rightfully (IMO) rejected to get involved.

If they were compelled by a government to act, that is another story...and a very slippery slope.

Brad

That is, the US government can order ICANN to block domain names to Russians and block .ru domain zone, and ICANN can technically do this? It turns out that need to create a petition addressed to the US government?

 

[bmugford]

That is, the US government can order ICANN to block domain names to Russians and block .ru domain zone, and ICANN can technically do this? It turns out that you need to create a petition addressed to the US government?

ICANN / IANA are technically an intentional organization now after the contract with the NTIA expired in 2016, but they are incorporated in California.

They are supposed to be free from US oversight, but that is simply not the reality. ICANN learned this when they were considering the .ORG takeover by a private equity company, and the California Attorney General got involved.

ICANN still under US laws, but checks in place to avoid hostile takeover​

https://www.zdnet.com/article/icann-still-under-us-laws-wont-go-under-un-purview/

 

[Igor Gabrielan]

It would be possible to sell the domain names of Russians at an auction and send this money to help Ukraine.

 

[bmugford]

It would be possible to sell the domain names of Russians at an auction and send this money to help Ukraine.

I guess anything is possible, but that is not going to happen.

Unless you are some type of Russian oligarch I don't think anyone is coming to try and seize your assets.

Private companies might make different business decisions, but they certainly have no legal rights to just seize your domains and liquidate them.

Brad

 

[bmugford]

Additionally, if there was massive overreach I am pretty sure industry trade groups that represent registrant/digital rights like the ICA (InternetCommerce.org), Electronic Frontier Foundation (eff.org), and many others would have something to say about it.

Brad

 

[boker]

Additionally, if there was massive overreach I am pretty sure industry trade groups that represent registrant/digital rights like the ICA (InternetCommerce.org), Electronic Frontier Foundation (eff.org), and many others would have something to say about it.

Brad

You are right, it's not moral and it's not fair. But let's imagine for a second that all these restrictions, including ICANN, would have been under Ukraine control, would that be fair or still discrimination? Also, let's imagine that instead of Ukraine, it would have been US, would that been discrimination? I can bet that minutes after Russia attacking, all these restrictions would have been imposed, including others, like closing borders, seizing everything russian, ICANN and hundreds more, which I can't think about. Would that be still discrimination against russians? Of course not, this is a war, the only thing is that Putin targeted a weaker enemy, which wasn't ready to defend itself and which wasn't integrated properly in Europe. For example, Putin sent a letter now, threatening Finland and Sweden with military consequences, if they think about NATO( and they don't have any russians minorities there, to find a pretext), do you think it would be the same? Europe and US would reply in seconds, with everything and nobody would think that it's discrimination or not moral.

 

[Igor Gabrielan]

Exactly, if this was an attack on the US, the Russian domain names would be confiscated. Why not do it now, when Ukraine courageously defends world democracy from a totalitarian country?

 

[boker]

Exactly, if this was an attack on the US, the Russian domain names would be confiscated. Why not do it now, when Ukraine courageously defends world democracy from a totalitarian country?

It's not fair, but it's somehow explainable. Ukraine was for a long time part of the russian world, even now, some russian minorities and possible even some ukrainians think about Russia, even if the majority want's to go to west. So, the connections between europeans and Ukraine are not that strong yet, is like a brother who lived far away for tens of years and came back. Ukraine will be part of EU sooner or latter, no matter what Russia thinks, it's just a hard moment. You just need to resist until they go broke, it should not take to long.

 

[Igor Gabrielan]

It's not fair, but it's somehow explainable. Ukraine was for a long time part of the russian world, even now, some russian minorities and possible even some ukrainians think about Russia, even if the majority want's to go to west. So, the connections between europeans and Ukraine are not that strong yet, is like a brother who lived far away for tens of years and came back. Ukraine will be part of EU sooner or latter, no matter what Russia thinks, it's just a hard moment. You just need to resist until they go broke, it should not take to long.

The confiscation of domain names would help broke Russia.

 

[boker]

The confiscation of domain names would help broke Russia.

Not really, a bigger impact will have closing all borders, stopping all exports/imports and e few others. They are waiting to combine them with war crimes charges and introduction of UN peacekeeping units. You just need to hang on.

 

[Igor Gabrielan]

Not really, a bigger impact will have closing all borders, stopping all exports/imports and e few others. They are waiting to combine them with war crimes charges and introduction of UN peacekeeping units. You just need to hang on.

All kinds of influence and contribution to the ruin of Russia must be applied.

 

[boker]

All kinds of influence and contribution to the ruin of Russia must be applied.

Not to ruin, just to force Putin to leave and stop the aggression, but anything needs to be done at the right time, to have the best impact.