[gnso-rds-pdp-wg] Discussion Topics

[Sam Lanfranco]

I would like to separate out one issue here, an issue with the RDS but 
one that goes well beyond our RDS remit and is being raised in various 
jurisdictions. RDS data is stored in registrar and registry servers, 
many of which if not most or all are increasingly being housed in global 
cloud server farms. This raises both within RDS, and within the larger 
ecosystem of cloud server farms, the issue of how owned/personal data 
and data storage policies beyond national jurisdictions conform to 
various national data retention and privacy policies.

This larger cloud ecosystem issue is raising problems well above and 
beyond those faced by RDS and whois services. It has some stakeholders 
talking about the need for something like the United Nations Convention 
on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), a set of global policies for the 
treatment of cloud data.

While this WG might come up with some clever scheme that covers just RDS 
data in the global cloud storage ecosystem, it is unlikely to come up 
with a totally satisfactory solution, and rather than spending endless 
time in a bottomless pit of possible solutions, the WG might want some 
temporary work around solution, and make a strong proposal for ICANN, 
ICANN’s registries and registrars, and the GAC governments to become 
active players in some sort of global “law of the sea” discussions on 
the issue. This is one of those technology driven governance issues that 
fall outside ICANN’s remit, but impact its policy domain, and impact the 
business practices of registries and registrars. While it falls outside 
ICANN's remit, ICANN could still be a lead stakeholder in such discussions.

Sam Lanfranco
NCSG/NPOC

-- 
------------------------------------------------
"It is a disgrace to be rich and honoured
in an unjust state" -Confucius
  邦有道，贫且贱焉，耻也。邦无道，富且贵焉，耻也
------------------------------------------------
Dr Sam Lanfranco (Prof Emeritus & Senior Scholar)
Econ, York U., Toronto, Ontario, CANADA - M3J 1P3
email: Lanfran at Yorku.ca   Skype: slanfranco
blog:  https://samlanfranco.blogspot.com
Phone: +1 613-476-0429 cell: +1 416-816-2852