Why should my organisation join the Business Constituency?

• What is the Business Constituency?
  The Business Constituency (BC) is the voice of commercial Internet users within ICANN - the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. ICANN is a global body with responsibility for certain policies that relate to the domain name system (DNS). Domain names are the names consumers and businesses rely upon to find websites for legitimate products and services on the Internet.
  
  
• Do you believe the private sector should continue to have a voice at ICANN to guide and influence ICANN policy and activities?
  There is a real threat, without the voice of business users, that certain functions now performed by ICANN related to governance of domain names and IP addressing could be taken over by governments or become more 'intergovernmental' in their functioning or decision making. Any change from the private sector led, multi-stakeholder governance model embodied within ICANN could lead to a dramatic slowing down in decision making, and limit the voice of the commercial sector that has built and operates the Internet.
  
  
• Are you involved in e-commerce and delivering online services or applications to users?
  All BC users are interested in ensuring a stable, reliable and resilient Internet and e-commerce platform for business. You can contribute to this through participating in ICANN, helping to make ICANN more effective and improving its accountability and transparency. Business users rely on a stable and secure Internet and ecommerce experience, one that serves their users and customers on a global basis. Through your participation in ICANN, and in the Business Constituency, your company will make a difference on behalf of business.
  
  
• Do you use a web site for your business?
  We all recognize that the world wants to be online. Domain names and IP addresses are part of ICANN's core coordination functions. For instance, it is ICANN that selects the top level names, such as .info, .biz, .eu, .jobs and .travel. ICANN is currently engaged in a major expansion of the top level generic space (for example, .eco or .music), and is introducing internationalized [non-Latin script] domain names. Both these changes portend a dramatic shift in how the DNS works, and both will have profound implications for business users and the customers they serve. The BC is a critical player in determining the rules for the expansion that is planned.
  
  
• Do you ever need to find out who owns a domain name?
  ICANN is currently debating funding to study the accuracy of the databases that provide information on who owns various domain names (known as the "WHOIS" databases). ICANN's Compliance team is investigating abuses and failures by domain name registrants and registrars to provide accurate WHOIS information. Information about who registers a domain name is a critical part of how businesses deal with fraud and abuse in the DNS. These issues affect businesses of all sizes, along with law enforcement, all of whom require open and accurate WHOIS information. The BC takes a rational and balanced approach to dealing with WHOIS issues; our voice provides an informed view on why WHOIS matters.
  
  
• Have you had problems transferring a domain name?
  The BC recently participated in discussions to introduce a streamlined procedure for users to transfer their business from one registrar to another.
  
  
• Do you care about governance of the Internet overall?
  

ICANN's existence and its stable, predictable, and accountable functioning is critical to ensure that the Internet continues to be managed and coordinated by a private sector led multi-stakeholder approach. Helping to improve and strengthen ICANN helps business in its objectives to ensure the continued leadership of the private sector in overall Internet governance.

If you answer yes to any of the above - and if you are willing to help to develop BC positions that can inform and guide ICANN's development of policy and its activities, join the Business Constituency. Membership is the way to ensure that the business voice and concerns are taken into account in ICANN.

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Download the BC Application here

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