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Domain privacy protects personal information of domain owners from spammers, identity thieves and unwanted marketing efforts. ICANN requires identities and contact information to be provided when domains are registered, but privacy services can be purchased from the registrar. Some companies treat privacy options differently, so it’s important to choose a reliable one. Certain domain extensions, such as “.us,” cannot be protected by privacy companies.
Domain privacy is a service that helps protect the domain owner’s personal information. Investing in domain privacy can protect domain owners from spammers, identity thieves and unwanted marketing efforts. Domain privacy protects domain owners from having their real names, addresses, and other contact information publicly displayed, so webmasters can enjoy peace of mind when running their websites.
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the organization that monitors domain names and sets rules for their use, requires that identities and contact information be provided when domains are initially registered. These details are stored and displayed in a public WHOIS database that anyone can access. However, concern about privacy and security issues may encourage a consumer to invest in domain privacy services as a way to protect themselves.
Domain privacy services can be purchased from the registrar through which the domain is registered. Website owners can request the service when registering the domain or add it later. Domain owners can also choose to purchase privacy services for multiple years at a time.
Usually, when a consumer chooses to purchase domain privacy services, they will need to submit a special request through the domain registrar. Many registrars consider domain privacy a separate service and charge additional fees for it. The registrar will then use a proxy service to replace the generic information with the real name, physical address, email address and other associated contact details of the domain owner. After the generic details have been entered into the WHOIS database, those gathering domain owner information for unsolicited purposes will find their job much more difficult to do.
Those interested in providing privacy services should understand that not all companies treat privacy options the same. Some companies automatically protect a domain owner’s identity with a WHOIS guard upon receipt of payment for services, but may also provide domain owner information if a telephone request is received. Similarly, many companies that receive legal threats, particularly in the form of cease and desist letters, prefer to disclose the identity of a domain owner rather than risk litigation. Individuals who really want to protect their identity might consider obtaining domain privacy from companies that host offshore domains and receive payment for services via money orders.
Also, if a domain owner purchases a domain with a certain extension, they may lose their privacy options. For example, domains ending in “.us” cannot be protected by privacy companies. The owners of these domains are required to make their personal information accessible to the public.
