PFIR Statement on VeriSign/NSI "Site Finder" and Domain Abuse

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

>          PFIR Statement on VeriSign/NSI "Site Finder" and Domain Abuse
>
>                                September 16, 2003
>
>
>                 http://www.pfir.org/statements/vs-domain-abuse
>
>
>         PFIR - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
>
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>
> VeriSign/Network Solutions' recent actions to effectively "hijack" all
> unused domain names in the ".COM" and ".NET" TLDs (Top Level Domains) for
> their "Site Finder" service, unilaterally and without prior warning or
> consultation with the Internet technical or policy communities, represents
> an arrogant and dangerous abuse of their vested, dominant, special position,
> and have vast policy, legal, and technical implications.
>
> These actions demonstrate a profound failure of judgment and management on
> the part of VeriSign/NSI.
>
> We call on VeriSign/NSI to immediately disable their DNS changes related to
> their Site Finder service, and further suggest that if VeriSign/NSI is
> unwilling to terminate the service voluntarily that they should be ordered
> to do so immediately by the appropriate authorities.
>
> We further believe that VeriSign/NSI's deployment of their Site Finder
> service represents gross and dangerous negligence relating to their
> stewardship of the Internet infrastructure, and that VeriSign/NSI has now
> clearly demonstrated their utter unsuitability for a continuing role
> relating to Internet domain/DNS operations or related services
> in any manner.
>
>  - - -
>
> Lauren Weinstein
> lauren () pfir org or lauren () vortex com or lauren () privacyforum org
> Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
> Co-Founder, PFIR - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
> Co-Founder, Fact Squad - http://www.factsquad.org
> Co-Founder, URIICA - Union for Representative International Internet
>    Cooperation and Analysis - http://www.uriica.org
> Moderator, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
> Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
> http://www.pfir.org/lauren
>
> Peter G. Neumann
> neumann () pfir org or neumann () csl sri com or neumann () risks org
> Tel: +1 (650) 859-2375
> Co-Founder, PFIR - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
> Co-Founder, Fact Squad - http://www.factsquad.org
> Co-Founder, URIICA - Union for Representative International Internet
>    Cooperation and Analysis - http://www.uriica.org
> Moderator, RISKS Forum - http://risks.org
> Chairman, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
> http://www.csl.sri.com/neumann
>
> David J. Farber
> dave () farber net
> Tel: +1 (412) 726-9889
> Distinguished Career Professor of Computer Science and Public Policy,
>    Carnegie Mellon University, School of Computer Science
> Member of the Board of Trustees EFF - http://www.eff.org
> Member of the Advisory Board -- EPIC - http://www.epic.org
> Member of the Advisory Board -- CDT - http://www.cdt.org
> Member of Board of Directors -- PFIR - http://www.pfir.org
> Co-Founder, URIICA - Union for Representative International Internet
>    Cooperation and Analysis - http://www.uriica.org
> Member of the Executive Committee USACM
> http://www.cis.upenn.edu/~farber
>
> (Affiliations shown for identification only.)

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