More than 50 consumer and civil liberties organisations from around the world have written to ICANN to urge the organisation to limit the use and scope of the WHOIS database to its original purpose - the resolution of technical network issues - and to establish strong privacy protections based on internationally accepted privacy standards. The WHOIS database broadly exposes domain registrants' personal data to a global audience.
The NGOs urge ICANN to consider their views on the use of WHOIS data. The letter asks for purpose limitation so that data are not going to be used for purposes that they were not originally submitted for. The letter also insists on a possibility for individuals to opt-out from the publication of their data in the public accessible WHOIS database. The NGOs believe that disclosure of WHOIS information to law enforcement or in the context of civil litigation must be pursuant to explicit legal authority set out in statute.
WHOIS Letter to ICANN (28.10.2003)
http://www.thepublicvoice.org/whoisletter.html