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Registration Data Policy – Implementation Resources

This webpage is a resource for contracted parties to assist in their implementation of the Registration Data Policy and for the broader community's awareness. ICANN org will update this webpage from time to time with additional resources throughout the implementation period.

Background

The Registration Data Policy was finalized and published on 21 February 2024. The Registration Data Policy was developed via ICANN's bottom-up multistakeholder policy development process and modifies requirements in the Registrar Accreditation Agreement and Registry Agreement in light of new and evolving data protection laws, such as the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation.

The Registration Data Policy is a result of implementation work by the community-based Implementation Review Team (IRT) and ICANN org staff and reflects the ICANN Board-adopted Recommendations from the Generic Names Support Organization. For additional background information regarding the development of the Registration Data Policy, please consult the collaborative workspace website.

Timeline for Contracted Party Implementation

The Registration Data Consensus Policy is effective on 21 August 2025. Beginning on 21 August 2024, registrars and registry operators may implement measures consistent with Temporary Specification for gTLD Registration Data or the Registration Data Policy in its entirety, or elements of both, as they prepare for the effective date of the Registration Data Policy.

This image is a visual representation of the timeline for implementation of the Registration Data policy. The timeline begins on 21 February 2024, and starts with publication of the policy and the implementation preparation phase. This first phase is shown as lasting for 6 months. The next implementation phase is the transition period, which begins on 21 August 2024 and lasts for 12 months. The final phase begins on 21 August 2025, and marks the Registration Data Policy effective date.

The table below provides details for each of the phases of implementation.

Phase Dates Details

Policy Publication and Implementation Preparation

21 Feb 2024 – 20 Aug 2024

The Registration Data Policy is published and a notice is sent to registry operators and registrars.

Registry operators and registrars must continue to implement measures consistent with the Temporary Specification for gTLD Registration Data and must not implement the new Registration Data Policy.

At this time registry operators and registrars should use this period to prepare for implementation of the Policy but not make any changes.

Transition Period

21 Aug 2024 – 20 Aug 2025

Registry operators and registrars may begin to make changes and transition to the Registration Data Policy.

During the transition period, registry operators and registrars may continue to implement measures consistent with the Temporary Specification for gTLD Registration Data, or the Registration Data Policy in its entirety, or elements of both.

Policy is Effective

21 Aug 2025 and onward

At this time implementation must be completed.

Registry operators and registrars must comply with the Registration Data Policy beginning 21 August 2025.

Implementation Resources and Reference Materials

Additional Reference Materials

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Domain Name System
Internationalized Domain Name ,IDN,"IDNs are domain names that include characters used in the local representation of languages that are not written with the twenty-six letters of the basic Latin alphabet ""a-z"". An IDN can contain Latin letters with diacritical marks, as required by many European languages, or may consist of characters from non-Latin scripts such as Arabic or Chinese. Many languages also use other types of digits than the European ""0-9"". The basic Latin alphabet together with the European-Arabic digits are, for the purpose of domain names, termed ""ASCII characters"" (ASCII = American Standard Code for Information Interchange). These are also included in the broader range of ""Unicode characters"" that provides the basis for IDNs. The ""hostname rule"" requires that all domain names of the type under consideration here are stored in the DNS using only the ASCII characters listed above, with the one further addition of the hyphen ""-"". The Unicode form of an IDN therefore requires special encoding before it is entered into the DNS. The following terminology is used when distinguishing between these forms: A domain name consists of a series of ""labels"" (separated by ""dots""). The ASCII form of an IDN label is termed an ""A-label"". All operations defined in the DNS protocol use A-labels exclusively. The Unicode form, which a user expects to be displayed, is termed a ""U-label"". The difference may be illustrated with the Hindi word for ""test"" — परीका — appearing here as a U-label would (in the Devanagari script). A special form of ""ASCII compatible encoding"" (abbreviated ACE) is applied to this to produce the corresponding A-label: xn--11b5bs1di. A domain name that only includes ASCII letters, digits, and hyphens is termed an ""LDH label"". Although the definitions of A-labels and LDH-labels overlap, a name consisting exclusively of LDH labels, such as""icann.org"" is not an IDN."