Network Solutions Sells Out -- Domain Info For Sale

Lauren Weinstein sent us this about the latest edition of his newsletter on privacy: "Greetings. In the latest PRIVACY Forum Digest, I report on Network Solution's moves to sell domain registration data, domain activity information, and other goodies to direct marketers." Those of us with our names on a bunch of domains have plenty of experience with spam to those addresses... but it seems that maybe, perhaps, NSI is actually offering an opt-out method.

Comments

Why didnt this make the front page?

[TotallyUseless]

Considering how many slashdot readers run domains (I run 4, and 3 were registered through NSI) it seems as tho this would warrant making it to the front page.
NSI is just a shady company, and at this point, with other choices available, I would advise everyone to choose a different registrant. This is just one more crummy thing they have done.

Yes, Put this on the front page

[WinPimp2K]

You might include the remarkably easy and clear (/sarcasm) opt out instructions that the article credits NSI with providing.
If you don't want to participate in NSI's bulk/marketing bonanza, you'll need to avail yourself (now that you'll know about them) of their opt-outs. Buried within their privacy policy it says that you can send notes with the text:

remove bulk access
or:
remove domain
respectively, in the subject lines of e-mail to:
privacy@networksolutions.com
with a list in the body of the message detailing the domains (for which you are the registrant) that you wish to opt-out.

This is not NSI's (or any registrar's) choice

[WilliamX]

ICANN MANDATES that every registrar permit their whois to be sold via annual subscription for no more than $10,000.

This is mandated by the accreditation agreements, and has been the case for well over a year now. I don't know why this is being brought up now, didn't anyone read the ICANN rules back in the fall of 1999 when this was all announced?

Here is the relevant portion of the ICANN Accreditation rules:

• a. Registrar shall make a complete electronic copy of the data available at least one time per week for download by third parties who have entered into a bulk access agreement with Registrar.

  b. Registrar may charge an annual fee, not to exceed US$10,000, for such bulk access to the data.

  c. Registrar's access agreement shall require the third party to agree not to use the data to allow, enable, or otherwise support the transmission of mass unsolicited, commercial advertising or solicitations via e-mail (spam).

  d. Registrar's access agreement may require the third party to agree not to use the data to enable high-volume, automated, electronic processes that apply to Registrar (or its systems).

  e. Registrar's access agreement may require the third party to agree not to sell or redistribute the data except insofar as it has been incorporated by the third party into a value-added product or service that does not permit the extraction of a substantial portion of the bulk data from the value-added product or service for use by other parties.

  f. Registrar may enable SLD holders who are individuals to elect not to have Personal Data concerning their registrations available for bulk access for marketing purposes based on Registrar's "Opt-Out" policy, and if Registrar has such a policy Registrar shall require the third party to abide by the terms of that Opt-Out policy; provided, however, that Registrar may not use such data subject to opt-out for marketing purposes in its own value-added product or service."

WilliamX