Input to Expert Working Group on gTLD Directory Services Postal address as a mandatory collectable data

[Timo Võhmar]

Hi

This concerns the latest version of gTLD directory service status update:
http://www.icann.org/en/groups/other/gtld-directory-services/status-update-11nov13-en.pdf

I do not quite understand why is the postal address mandatory for
registering a domain. This data is very hard to verify and expensive to use
for communication with domain contacts. Furthermore, in some countries
companies and private people have to have registered contact addresses but
there is no requirement for working mailbox. So you can slip your mail in
under the door if one can even get to it in a big office building.

This is a digital age we are living in. It does not make sense to send
physical letters when there is an email available. E-mail is also easily
verifiable during registration operations, same goes for mobile phone
numbers. There is Facebook, Google+ and number of other digital verifiable
and more sensible ways to contact someone.

I admit that there probably are countries / regions where physical post is
still the most reliable way to contact someone, but in that case the postal
address data should be at least voluntary to collect and/or to fulfill.

I think that collecting data that is hard to verify, like postal address
is, is in conflict with the goal of better WHOIS data quality.

Best Regards,

Timo Võhmar
Head of development
Estonian Internet Foundation
www.internet.ee
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