Blog Articles
Tiered Access update: policy check-in and updated statistics
Tucows launched our Tiered Access Compliance and Operations (TACO) platform nearly five years ago in May 2018. Since then, we’ve processed thousands of disclosure requests, supported hundreds of requestors with their legitimate needs for the disclosure of domain registration data, and made ongoing improvements to our TACO platform (the most recent of which are discussed […]
TACO Platform updates
We are very pleased to announce several updates to the Tucows TACO Platform: Domain registration data lookups are now automatically disclosed to the domain owner, simultaneously with the data being provided to the requestor; TACO users can view their own account information; TACO users can report inaccurate data directly through the lookup results page; Finally, […]
Tiered Access update and thoughts on due process
We disclose data through TACO on a regular basis to people who have proven a “legitimate interest” (these are the requirements of GDPR). There is another way, however, to get access to the data that Tucows holds; adequate due process. Recent events in the news have underscored that due process is one of the most […]
Tiered Access update: registration data accuracy, and updated statistics
In the lead-up to ICANN74, we’re back with another set of Tiered Access disclosure request and response statistics. You can jump to the numbers to see how the first few months of 2022 compared to previous years. Since the Registration Data Accuracy Scoping Team is focusing on the topic, we’d like to provide some insight […]
Tiered Access update: refreshed statistics and law enforcement processes
In May 2018, Tucows moved to redact all personal data from the default public Whois in order to comply with the GDPR1 and other data protection laws. Since then, the primary way for third parties to access domain name registration data that we hold is to place a request through our Tiered Access Compliance and […]
Tiered Access request review process and updated statistics
It’s been quite some time since our last Tiered Access statistics update. In the interim, we’ve been hard at work managing requests for disclosure of previously public registration data and, before jumping into the numbers, we wanted to share what this work looks like. Our review process Our Tiered Access team reviews each data disclosure […]
Whois history and updated tiered access statistics
The Internet as we know it may be fairly new, but that short history doesn’t mean it’s not also filled with cycles and repetition. Back in 2003, ICANN convened the Whois Task Force, intended to improve the ability of Whois services to contribute to the stability and security of the Internet while balancing the need […]
Privacy and lawful access to personal data at Tucows
Tucows provides reasonable, lawful access to non-public registration data; this means constantly working to balance the privacy rights of registrants against the rights of third parties, most of which, in our experience, are related to intellectual property rights (90% of all requests). In addition to the usual statistics, this update also includes a deep dive […]
Tiered access data disclosure update
It has been more than a year since Tucows launched our Tiered Access Compliance & Operations portal, sometimes called “Gated Whois,” and it’s been around six months since we shared our first set of statistics on how and by whom this platform is being used. Today’s update brings our statistics current through mid-October 2019. We […]
OpenSRS’ tiered access directory: a look at the numbers
Tucows’ Tiered Access Compliance & Operations portal (which we commonly refer to as a “Tiered Access Directory” or “gated Whois”) launched at the end of May 2018. With its launch, our public Whois “went dark.” From that date forward, all personal registrant data has been redacted from the public Whois by default, and made accessible […]