Privacy is vital to free and safe small business

[KM Communications <kmcomm@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear ICANN –

I write today regarding the proposed rules governing companies that
provide WHOIS privacy services (as set forth in the Privacy and Policy
Services Accreditation Issues Policy document):

As someone whose business is conducted almost entirely online, I urge
you to respect Internet users' rights to privacy and due process.

Anyone with an awareness of recent online legal battles knows that any
person with a voice on the Internet, but particularly women and members
of minority groups of all kinds, can be subjected to targeted privacy
violations (such as doxxing, swatting, and other threats intended to
silence) enacted to damage their businesses, restrict their access to
free speech, and in some cases threaten their lives. WHOIS privacy
services are a first line of defense against those who would,
maliciously or on a whim, endanger myself, my family, my reputation, and
my property. Requiring a court order to access identifying information
is a reasonable protection that should not be scrapped.

Please stand with me in declaring that:
- Everyone deserves the right to privacy.
- No one’s personal information should be revealed without a court
order, regardless of whether the request comes from a private
individual or law enforcement agency.

Private information should be kept private. Thank you.