IE Domain Registry t/a .IE Annual Report 2021

PAC – operation and modus operandi The Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) was established by the Company in July 2014, to provide a forum to consider and provide advice to the .IE Board of Directors on policy change requests. The PAC operates under its specific Terms of Reference and follows the published 10-step Policy Development Process (PDP). The PAC considers all policy change-requests submitted for review, and where consensus is reached for a change, it also advises on the implementation of such policy change-requests. The members of the PAC are stakeholders with an interest in the .ie namespace and its policies. The membership includes representatives from eligible organisations. That list was extended in 2019, with the welcome addition of CyberSafeKids and IRISS (the Irish Reporting and Information Security Service), who joined the .ie accredited Registrars, the Department of Communications (DECC), Enterprise Ireland, the Small Firms Association (SFA), the Law Society, the Internet Service Providers Association of Ireland (ISPAI), the Department of Enterprise (DETE), the Irish Computer Society (ICS) and the Association of Patent and Trademark Attorneys (APTMA). Discussions with regulatory bodies or public consultations take place when these are considered useful by the PAC working group which is considering the topic. The Committee convened on four occasions in 2021, using Zoom, due to the Covid-related restrictions. The PAC has maintained the strong levels of meeting attendance and engagement evident since its inaugural meeting in 2015. This has been vital to the progression of the various policy change discussions, as has the diverse expertise, experience and knowledge of the Committee members. The commitment of the PAC in adhering to the bottom-up, consensus-driven, multi stakeholder-led PDP has been invaluable in the progression of the policy changes. Entering its eighth year of operation, the PAC expects to continue to build on the achievements and milestones of previous years. Tackling online criminal abuse which uses the .ie DNS The policy response to addressing criminal abuse (illegality) involved considerable and constructive engagement from PAC members. Criminality or illegality online can include website content about human trafficking or child abuse and also includes financial crime such as fraudulent inducement, scams or fake websites. Thankfully, these are very rare on .ie websites - thanks largely to the Managed Registry Model, which incorporates pre-registration know your customer processes. In early 2020, representatives from law enforcement made a formal presentation to the PAC, informing members that there were no notable abuse concerns within the .ie namespace, and complimented channel participants, saying there was no notable friction with current ad hoc takedown and suspension procedures. Subsequently, there was consensus that criminal abuses, when they arise, can have life-altering impacts on victims, and that there is a responsibility on all internet stakeholders to engage with law enforcement to collaboratively, proactively prevent and mitigate occurrence of these crimes to minimise the number of victims. The importance of following due process was repeatedly emphasised as a critical success factor in developing an appropriate policy response. Discussions and consensus building regarding alternative policy responses progressed during 2021 and into 2022, as PAC members and stakeholders continued to monitor and evaluate international developments and initiatives. Discussions continued with An Garda Siochána to build a suitable protocol with the registry and registrars to suspend/delete/ takedown .ie domains which meet certain criteria and circumstances. “In this EU Digital Decade, the .IE PAC is effectively a national internet governance forum, with committee members from government, industry, employer representative bodies, the legal profession, child protection and the policy community.” Fergal O’Byrne, Chairman, .IE Policy Advisory Committee IIA Internet Hall of Fame Inductee 2015 Corporate Governance IE Domain Registry CLG t/a .IE / Annual Report & Review 2021 17