The pilot program, announced by Verisign, provides a framework for collaboration between Verisign, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). It targets websites that illegally offering opioids for sale. The FDA will notify internet registries when the agency sends a warning letter to a registrar and/or website operator, and they do not respond adequately within the required timeframe.
Potential solution to dealing with the illegal drug sale
If the situation continues after the notification and potential technical action request, Verisign will be able to notify the registrar for the domain name. If still no action is taken, Verisign may then take appropriate action.
According to the results of the pilot program, it can also translate to other fronts to fight agains DNS abuse. Results will be studied and the pilot program can be a potential solution to dealing with the illegal sale of unapproved opioids online. HHS Secretary Alex Azar said,
“Cooperation between the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Commerce, with the addition of the pilot program, will help stop the online sale of illicit opioids and combat our country’s deadly addiction crisis. Stopping abuse of illegal opioids, including those sold online, has been one of President Trump’s top health priorities. The men and women of FDA have worked tirelessly over the years with the private sector and federal partners, like NTIA, to fight illegal online opioid sales.”