[db-wg] Changes to the RIPE Database Acceptable Use Policy and Daily Limit Accounting

Dear colleagues,

We would like to share some changes to the RIPE Database Acceptable Use Policy and how we implement the daily limit. The Database team will enable these changes from this Thursday, 16 May 2024 onwards.

The RIPE NCC Executive Board approved amendments to the "RIPE Database Acceptable Use Policy" (AUP) in March this year, allowing for an additional method of accounting for RIPE Database queries containing personal data. With this method, the count will be based per user, rather than per IP address, for logged-in users. This allows multiple users to share the same public IP address but be accounted for separately. Previously, an office behind a NAT, for example, would get blocked as all users shared the same query limit. This will no longer be the case, as we will count the number of queries per user based on their RIPE NCC Access (single sign-on) accounts, if they are logged in. For users who are not logged in to RIPE NCC Access accounts, the queries will be counted based on IP addresses.

Additionally, we found that the daily limit configured in Whois was inconsistent with the AUP.  Along with the other changes described above, we will enforce the daily query limit in Whois in line with the Acceptable Use Policy:
* Number of personal data sets returned in queries from an IP address – 1,000 per 24 hours
* Number of personal data sets returned in queries from a RIPE NCC Access (SSO) account – 1,000 per 24 hours

Users who query for personal data above the daily limit will receive the message below explaining what has happened and what to do next:

Access from your host has been temporarily denied. For more information, see:
https://apps.db.ripe.net/docs/FAQ/#why-did-i-receive-an-error-201-access-denied

The minutes from the March meeting of the RIPE NCC Executive Board are available at:
https://www.ripe.net/about-us/executive-board/minutes/2024/174th-executive-board-meeting-minutes/

The resolution amending the RIPE Database Acceptable Use Policy is under section 4.6.

The updated RIPE Database Acceptable Use Policy is available on our website:
https://www.ripe.net/manage-ips-and-asns/db/support/documentation/ripe-database-acceptable-use-policy/

Regards,
Ed Shryane
RIPE NCC