I would like to give some background on this matter and describe the RIPE NCC’s view.
We have been closely following legal developments with respect to Russian Internet regulation and provided updates in the past:
https://labs.ripe.net/author/maxim_burtikov/russia-regulatory-update/ The creation of a local database of all Internet resources was part of the Russian Sovereign Internet Bill. According to Russian government officials, this was an effort to establish the security and resilience of a “Russian segment of Internet”.
In February 2021, the RIPE NCC had a discussion with the organisation responsible for implementing the database to learn about the technical details. They told us that their database would have the same data as the RIPE Database and it was only intended as a back-up. They also stated that the RIPE Database would remain the primary source of data. Please note that while we sought to understand the details, the RIPE NCC did not contribute to this work in any way.
It is also worth noting that other governments in our service region also maintain similar databases, whether as back-ups or for other purposes. The RIPE NCC has always understood that governments will want to ensure diligent administration within their territories. We have sought to offer technical knowledge so that these efforts do not have a negative impact on Internet stability.
Our position on this matter has been firm:
The RIPE Database and the other RIR databases remain the authoritative source to determine uniqueness of Internet number resources. It is critical for Internet stability that any databases maintained by governments are consistent with the RIPE Database. Inconsistencies between these various databases and the RIPE Database may have severe consequences for the uniqueness of Internet number resources, which is fundamental for the global Internet.
Having said that, it is true that regulatory developments over the past decade include deliberate efforts to protect or otherwise affect the local Internet infrastructure, and these have the potential to impact our operations even as unintended consequence or side effect.
This concern has been highlighted on multiple occasions at RIPE Meetings and in the RIPE Labs article “Caught in the Middle: Regulatory Impact and our Mission as the RIPE NCC”:
https://labs.ripe.net/author/athina/caught-in-the-middle-regulatory-impact-and-our-mission-as-the-ripe-ncc/ In this article we explained that national or international legislation has already started to interfere with our ability to provide the same services to all RIPE NCC members on an equal basis, and this has the potential to impact the operation of the global Internet and might ultimately lead to fragmentation of the Internet.
As we work to mitigate potential threats to our ability to provide services to our members or to the operations of the Internet, we will keep the following principles in mind:
• The wider Internet governance system is essential to the stability of the global Internet and should not be undermined
• The RIPE Database, along with the equivalent databases of the other RIRs, must remain the authoritative source to determine uniqueness of Internet number resources
• All networks must be able to access Internet resources and related services on an equal basis, regardless of geography
We will share more information about this work with the membership and the community in due course.
Kind Regards,