Internet Society, PIR and Ethos respond to US Congress members

The Internet Society, PIR registry, and Ethos Capital have responded to the letter addressed to them by several members of the US Congress in December 2019. The response notes that the .org ‘transaction is designed and intended to serve the public interests in two distinct ways: (1) by ensuring the long-term growth and development of the .org domain, and (2) by providing essential support for the ongoing work of the Internet Society’. Ethos and PIR commit to ‘anchor PIR in a Public Benefit LLC structure prior to completing the transaction’, to enshrine the mission of PIR in the .org governing documents and ensure Ethos provides accountability for the governance of PIR. Moreover, a Stewardship Council will be formed within 90 days of the transaction closing, to act as an independent body serving as a resource for PIR and .org registrants. The charter for the Council is to be made available for public comment. The Council will also oversee a Community Enablement Fund that will invest in initiatives serving .org users.