ICANN58 Copenhagen

The Data Protection Unit of The Council of Europe is providing its support, along with the GNSO and GAC, for the organisation of a high-level interest session on 13 March 2017 during the 58th meeting of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) in Copenhagen. 
The objective of the “Privacy Summit” is for high-level data protection experts and members of the ICANN Community to exchange views with ICANN on privacy and data protection implications of processing of WHOIS data, third party access to personal data and the issue of accountability for the processing of personal data. The expected outcome of this event is a better mutual understanding of the underlying questions related to the protection of privacy and personal data, and the strengthening of an open and inclusive dialogue on these issues.
The Session will include contributions from the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy, the Chairperson of Article 29 Working Group and the European Data Protection Supervisor, together with high-level representatives of the gNSO and the GAC. Becky Burr from the ICANN Board will moderate the interactive Panel Session.
During and after the Panel Session there will be opportunity for discussion points and questions from the audience, including those from the law-enforcement community.
In terms of Expected Outcome, the Session will hopefully provide a better mutual understanding of the privacy implications for the work ICANN is involved in, not least in the relationships it has with Registrars and Registries. It will also allow the Data Protection Experts to better understand the global complexities involved in this work, and will hopefully be the start of an inclusive dialogue on the underlying issues. 
Background
ICANN plays a unique role in the infrastructure of the Internet. Through its contracts with registries and registrars (companies that sell domain names to individuals and organisations), it helps define how the domain name system functions and expands. It is widely recognised that ICANN has an important impact on the Internet’s overall expansion and development, and consequently has influence on a range of Human Rights issues as well.  The rights to privacy and to the protection of personal data, as well as the right to freedom of expression, are among the Human Rights that are to be addressed in the context of ICANN policy-making processes. In some respects, and with respect to some Data Protection Law, ICANN can be considered as a global data controller operating a network of data processors that process vast quantities of personal data. ICANN has followed a policy of making contact related personal data of registrants publicly available, and other more operational ones accessible by third parties (like law enforcement authorities).
Staff Contacts: Marika Konings, Olof Nordling and Nigel Hickson
Opening remarks: Mr. James Bladel, chair of the GNSO and Mr. Johannes Kleijssen, Director of Information Society and Action against Crime of the Council of Europe
Panel on ICANN and Data Privacy issues:
Moderator: Ms. Becky Burr (ICANN Board),
Ms. Abigail Slater (GNSO)
Mr. James Galvin (GNSO)
Mr. Thomas Schneider (GAC)
Prof. Joseph Cannataci (UN)
Mr. Giovanni Buttarelli (EDPS)
Mr. Wilbert Tomesen (Article 29 Working Party)
Ms. Caroline Goemans-Dorny (Interpol)
Moderated discussion with panel and with audience
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Staff Leader: Marika Konings