FTC, DOJ, FBI ‘Deeply’ Concerned About New gTLDs, WHOIS, Compliance at ICANN

As the end of the first application window for the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers’ new generic top-level domain name program draws near, U.S. law enforcement agencies are deeply concerned about problems with existing WHOIS databases of registrant information—problems they fear will be compounded when ICANN rolls out potentially thousands of new top-level domains, Federal Trade Commissioner Julie Brill remarked March 29.

“At the FTC, we are deeply concerned that scammers will use the planned profusion of new web addresses to confuse consumers into thinking they are dealing with a reputable business[,]” Brill said.