ICANN Should Rethink WHOIS Anonymity Changes

[Scintillic <scintillic@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

This is an email from my online handle that I use for hobbies such as video
games and blogging where I sometimes talk about controversial issues,
stupid actions and consequences pertaining to the First Amendment among
them.

As a business owner, it would be irresponsible of me not to disassociate
those personal activities from my business.

In a world where the thugs, both violent and the enabled rich, behave
reprehensibly because of their own misguided senses of justice, it would be
inconceivable for me not to disassociate my personal and business personas.
Through no fault of my own, for only holding opinions and speaking out on
controversial issues, I could be exposing my business, my business
partners, and my employees to physical, legal and financial threats.

If ICANN could guarantee the good behavior of everyone in the world, that
everyone would resort to more speech and the exchange of ideas to solve
their problems, then ICANN could in good conscious reduce the protections
provided by WHOIS anonymity. But a five second look at relevant headlines
in any language makes it obvious to any honest person the gross negligence
to free speech in general and the safety of smart, upstanding, engaged
people that the current proposal demonstrates.