Domain privacy is a service offered by a number of domain name registrars. A user buys privacy from the company, who in turn replaces the user's info in the WHOIS with the info of a proxy service such as Domains by Proxy or Whois Privacy Protection Service.

However, this is not true anonymity. Personal information is collected by these registrars to provide the service. To some, registrars like Domains by Proxy take little persuasion to release so-called 'private' information to the world, requiring only a phone request or cease and desist letter.^[1][2][3]

Others, however, treat privacy more seriously, and host domain names offshore, even using e-gold or money orders in transactions so that the registrar has no knowledge of the personal information about the domain name owner in the first place (which would otherwise be transmitted along with credit card transactions).^[4][5]

In March 2005, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has said that all owners of .us domains will not have the option of keeping their information private, and that it must be made public.

As of June 10, 2008, the Canadian Internet Registration Authority no longer posted registration details of individuals associated with .ca domains.

Currently, the Internet Coalition for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) broadly requires that the mailing address, phone number and e-mail address be made publicly available through the "WHOIS" directories. That policy enables spammers, direct marketers, identity thieves, or other attackers to loot the directory for personal information about domain name owners. Although ICANN has been exploring changing WHOIS to enable greater privacy, there is a lack of consensus between major stakeholders on what type of change this should be.

See also

• Privacy
• Anonymity

References

External links

• WHOIS Task Force 2 -- Proxy Registration (and related) Services (contains a list of services)
• Proxy registration providers
• Domain owners lose privacy ? Wired News article about .us domains
• Whois Search