WHOIS Accuracy Requirements
WHOIS accuracy requirements are [[icann]] contractual obligations on [[registrar]] operators to collect and maintain accurate registrant contact data and to investigate and remediate inaccurate records upon complaint. Under ICANN's Registration Data Directory Services (RDDS) policy and the Registrar Accreditation Agreement (RAA), registrars must provide a mechanism for reporting inaccurate WHOIS data and must take corrective action — including domain suspension — if a [[registrant]] fails to cure false information within 15 days. The balance between accuracy obligations and [[domain-privacy-law]] compliance is a persistent tension: registrars must collect accurate data but may be legally prohibited from displaying it publicly under GDPR and other privacy frameworks, leading to the development of gated RDAP access systems.
Example
A registrar received an ICANN compliance complaint when a domain's WHOIS record listed 'Mickey Mouse, 123 Fake Street' as the registrant; the registrar suspended the domain after the owner refused to provide accurate information within 15 days.