The European Union is presently drafting legislation to improve cyber security (revised NIS Directive). According to the directive, European Union will ban anonymous domain registration.
The directive is aimed to close the loopholes in the existing domain registration system.
While registering a domain, the registrar gathers details like the buyer’s name, phone number, address, and email. But these details aren’t verified to be accurate so, chances are high that it could contain false information.
The current domain registration system lets registrants likely provide fake details or WHOIS information to the domain registrars.
European Union’s new directive will add terms about how the domain registrars will gather information from the registrants and who will be having access to those details.
Talking about the details, the registrant of the new domain needs to submit a valid email address and telephone number along with their full name and physical address. These details will be verified by the registrar.
Whereas currently, the registrant needs to provide only the name and address for the domain ownership.
An amendment in a draft of the new EU legislation explains TLD registries and entities offering domain name registration services should gather domain name registration data. The TLD registries and entities offering domain name registration services should strive to ensure the integrity and availability of the collected data by deploying technical and organizational measures like the verification process for the registrants.
They should establish policies and various procedures for collecting accurate, verified, and comprehensive data of the domain registrants. Additionally, they should also rectify and prevent inaccuracy of the registration data.
Mixed Reactions Over EU’s New Directive
The ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Number) and a few other copyright holder representatives and organizations are in the favor of EU’s new directive.
The problem with anonymous domains is that these domains are likely used for executing illegitimate activities like malware distribution, sharing copyright works without license, promoting piracy, etc.
Also, law enforcement on the owners and operators of such platforms can’t be charged if they stay anonymous.
Additionally, even while the domains get reported and the registrars take them down, the owners can still hop to a new domain and begin their malicious activity.
The security experts have welcomed the legislative move
On the other hand, privacy activists have warned that the proposals could jeopardize activists by eliminating online anonymity. One of them says this indiscriminate identification policy for domain holders is a huge step towards eliminating publication and leaks over the web.
Featured Image: Cfr.org
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