ICANN - Tom Stanley Says Respect Our Privacy

[Thomas Stanley <tomstanley@xxxxxxx>]

Dear ICANN –

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

I urge you to respect internet users' rights to privacy and due process. 
- 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. 

I fully support releasing information if a court order requires it but there 
are numerous reasons I do not support the release in other cases.  I run a 
business.  My competitors try to copy many of the things I do.  If you release 
WHOIS data, it gives my competitors an avenue to research my business that does 
not currently exist and that is not their business.  Releasing this data also 
provides yet one more avenue for my identity to be copied and stolen.

DO NOT DO THIS!  Private information should be kept private. Thank you.

Tom Stanley