2014 marks the second year of progress towards fulfilling our commitment to improve WHOIS. ICANN achieved several key milestones in 2014, and is on track to deliver on the remaining commitments stemming from the WHOIS Review Team's recommendations.
Highlights include:
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whois.icann.org - a new microsite launched to provide a comprehensive information portal on how WHOIS works, and how to easily access the information, documents, and policies supporting it.
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Consolidated WHOIS Lookup Tool - this new functionality enables users to input any gTLD domain name and find out the WHOIS contact information for the registrant behind it.
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WHOIS Primer - a simple, easy to read summary of the complex contract requirements, technical specifications, and consensus policies that define the WHOIS program, available in six languages, so that anyone can understand how WHOIS works.
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Accuracy Reporting System Pilot [PDF, 668 KB] - a new system for proactively examining the accuracy of WHOIS records and reporting on the results.
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EWG Model to Replace WHOIS - a proposal [PDF, 5.11 MB ]to be considered by the GNSO for a replacement to the current WHOIS to better serve the needs of tomorrow's Internet.
To learn more about these and other improvements to the WHOIS Program, ICANN has published the second Annual Report on WHOIS Improvements [PDF, 1.11 MB], which details all of these activities, and lets you know what to expect in the coming months.