ICANN Registration Data Policy Enters Into Force for Contracted Parties on 21 August 2025

As of 21 August 2025, the ICANN Registration Data Policy is now formally in effect for all contracted parties, including ICANN‑accredited registrars and gTLD registry operators. This milestone follows a full year of transition that began on 21 August 2024, during which these organizations had time to prepare for the new requirements by updating their systems and internal processes.

The conclusion of this transition marks a key phase in ICANN’s broader effort to modernize and unify how registration data is handled across the domain name ecosystem. Contracted parties are now expected to operate in full compliance with the updated standards.

Replacing the Interim Policy With a Unified Standard

The Registration Data Policy replaces the Interim Registration Data Policy, aligning contracted party obligations with the GNSO's consensus recommendations. This shift creates a standardized framework for handling domain registration data in ways that respect privacy regulations and operational consistency.

Specifically, the policy includes 34 approved recommendations and brings coordinated updates to 20 related ICANN policies and procedures. It also introduces refinements to the Registration Data Access Protocol (RDAP) Profile, improving data accessibility in a secure and structured manner.

Community‑Driven Development Process

ICANN has acknowledged the extensive work of its multistakeholder community in shaping this policy. The collaboration among advisory groups, supporting organizations, and implementation review teams was essential to ensuring that the policy would be both practical and effective.

Developing these changes required significant investment of time and expertise, highlighting the global community's commitment to creating policies that balance technical needs with data protection standards.

Contracted Party Readiness and System Upgrades

Throughout the transition year, contracted parties undertook technical and procedural changes to support full implementation. These efforts included modifications to registration systems, data handling workflows, and compliance processes to meet the policy’s requirements.

By the time of enforcement, the majority of contracted parties had reported their readiness, ensuring a consistent rollout of the policy across the domain name industry.