ICANN Launches Service to Help With WHOIS Lookups

ICANN launched the Registration Data Request Service (RDRS) in Nov 2023 as a centralized portal to submit requests for redacted WHOIS data following GDPR-driven changes, with registrar participation optional and disclosures handled outside the system (and excluding ccTLDs). The article outlines the tension between privacy concerns and security needs, notes skepticism about the service’s practical impact, and points to the EU’s upcoming NIS2 directive—requiring more accurate WHOIS records and faster response times—as a factor likely to increase registrar responsiveness.