It has been more than a year since we launched the Registration Data Request Service (RDRS), a two-year pilot project aimed at providing a more consistent and standardized format for requesting access to generic top-level domain (gTLD) nonpublic registration data. ICANN has published a report on the first year of operations.
RDRS was developed with input from the Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) on the system's design and implemented at the direction of the ICANN Board to help inform policy decisions related to a System for Standardized Access/Disclosure to Nonpublic gTLD Registration Data (SSAD). The usage data collected from RDRS will help inform the Board's future decision on the next steps for SSAD.
Since the launch in November 2023, 94 registrars, representing 60 percent of gTLD domains under management, have voluntarily participated in the RDRS pilot. ICANN has continued to collaborate with the GNSO's RDRS Standing Committee and the community on enhancements to RDRS to improve the user experience and the quality of requests submitted to registrars.
RDRS-related enhancements in 2024 included:
- An updated help function.
- Improved error messaging for unsupported top-level domains.
- A new requirement for requestor address and telephone, with an optional field for requestor organization or affiliation.
- An increased open text field character limit, from 1,000 to 2,000 characters.
- The ability for registrars to view all requests without the use of filters.
- The addition of the request date to the registrar view.
- Updated messaging when registrars conclude reviews to highlight the RDRS survey.
- The incorporation of new language and link to RDRS on the ICANN Lookup Tool results page.
- A feature to allow registrars to change the request category.
Key metrics for the first year of the pilot include:
- 8,451 requestor accounts were created.
- 2,416 requests were submitted and 2,081 requests were closed. Of the closed requests:
- 23 percent were approved.
- 1 percent were partially approved.
- 66 percent were denied.
- 10 percent were for publicly available data.
- The most frequently selected requestor categories were Other, Intellectual Property Holder, and Law Enforcement.
ICANN will continue to work closely with the GNSO Standing Committee as it continues to make operational assessments and review usage metrics during the second year of the pilot.
Looking ahead, there will be more discussion and collaboration among the GNSO Standing Committee, the ICANN Board, and the community about the future of RDRS. The GNSO Standing Committee is currently working on drafting its final report on RDRS for the GNSO Council. For general information about RDRS and to download the report, please visit the RDRS webpage.
