Public Safety committee  Mr. Chair and members of the committee, my name is Byron Holland. I am the president and chief executive officer of the Canadian Internet Registration Authority, or CIRA. Thank you for the invitation to share our views and recommendations on Bill C-26. CIRA is a private, not-for-profit organization best known for operating the “.ca” registry, with 3.4 million .ca domain names under management.

Industry committee  That's a good question. There's always a delicate balance for organizations like ours, because fundamentally we are a technical organization. We operate the infrastructure; we don't monitor what transpires on the infrastructure. That's certainly not our mandate. In no way do I mean to skate out from under the responsibility, but we're a technical operator and not a content administrator.

Industry committee  Given that we are a technical organization, my sense is that the oversight of content would be better placed in other organizations that are specifically set up to do that, whether law enforcement or even the CRTC. We are a gold standard in the global community that operates the technical functions of the Internet, and, to a great degree, that's because of some of our rules but also understanding the limits of our remit.

Industry committee  There's an important policy we have in place, which I think merits attention vis-à-vis your question, and that's our Canadian presence requirements. All .ca domain names must be registered by somebody or an organization with a legal tie to Canada, and so every single domain name is bound to Canadian legal jurisdiction and Canadian law.

Industry committee  I have changed my mike and headset. Hopefully, that will be better. Madam Chair, thank you for the opportunity to present yet again. I will start at the beginning, as you've asked, to make sure that the folks who were not able to hear can. My name is Byron Holland. I'm the president and CEO of the Canadian Internet Registration Authority.

Industry committee  Thank you very much, Madam Chair and honourable members of the committee. Most people know the Canadian Internet Registration Authority, or CIRA, as the operator of the .ca registry. Our primary mission is the operation of a safe, stable and secure .ca domain space. CIRA is recognized as a global leader in the domain name industry.