ICANN’s WHOIS System Must Follow Local Laws and Best Practices in Data Protection

The Internet operates in a space far removed from Westphalian sovereignty, where mostly self-regulated private entities set policy through network architecture and engineering decisions. Among these bodies, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a California-based not-for-profit, holds a monopoly over the technical and functional workings of the Internet’s domain name and numbering systems. It is also responsible for the operation of the WHOIS database, a global directory service of domain name registrants. LSE alumnus and member of ICANN’s Non-Commercial Users Constituency, Ayden Férdeline, argues that ICANN needs to do more to address concerns about the handling of sensitive personal data, and should adopt international best practices in privacy and data protection.