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





         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@xxxxxxxx or lauren@xxxxxxxxxx or lauren@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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@xxxxxxxx or neumann@xxxxxxxxxxx or neumann@xxxxxxxxx
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@xxxxxxxxxx
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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