Why your new policy will kill WHOIS accuracy

[Akio Burns <burns399@xxxxxxxxx>]

Dear ICANN –

I am a 16 year old web developer who's launched and ran multiple websites. I 
run multiple game servers published under domains I haver purchased from 
various providers. If it were not for WHOIS privacy services I would be forced 
to provide my personal name and home address which would then be available for 
anyone to see. One of the beautiful things about the internet is anonymity. I 
can publish and create what I like without having to fear for my personal 
safety. I have recieved many threats before. I have had to make decisions to 
ban users from various services I've created. But under the veil of anonymity I 
can make choices that need to be made, and I can sleep soundly at night knowing 
that the threats I've received will stay just threats. If ICANN moves to ban 
WHOIS privacy services it will kill my career as an independent developer. I 
will not be able to own my own domain names. Domain names are the portal to the 
web and I will be forced to kill mine and use a third party portal. But that 
won't happen. No one is going to do that. People have been lying on the 
Internet for years and don't think for a second that WHOIS will be an 
exception. WHOIS privacy services allow domain holders to be honest while still 
feeling safe. Remove them and domain holders WILL lie about their personal 
information, myself included. You're trying to improve the WHOIS accuracy? This 
will kill WHOIS accuracy. 

This policy will benefit no one. It will put domain holders in danger and it 
will contribute heavily to a murky, unusable WHOIS database. 

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. 

Private information should be kept private. Thank you.