Domain privacy 1585541 221428503 2008-06-24T13:27:26Z 88.240.144.229 /* External links */ '''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 server|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.<ref>{{cite web| title=Private domains not so private? | publisher=[[CNET News.com]] | date=2005-08-15 | accessdate= | url=http://news.com.com/Private+domains+not+so+private/2100-1038_3-5833663.html }}</ref><ref>{{cite web| title=More on Domains By Proxy | author=Thomas Roessler | date=2003-04-15 | accessdate= | url=http://log.does-not-exist.org/archives/2003/04/15/299_more_on_domains_by_proxy.html }}</ref><ref>{{cite web| title=proxy fight <nowiki>[</nowiki>Domains-by-proxy update<nowiki>]</nowiki> | author=Wendy Seltzer | date=2003-04-11 | accessdate=2008-06-16 | url=http://wendy.seltzer.org/blog/archives/2003/04/11/proxy_fight_domains_by_proxy_update.html }}</ref> Others, however, treat privacy more seriously, and host domain names offshore, even using [[e-gold]] or [[money order]]s 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).<ref>[http://www.katzglobal.com/hosting/anonymous-domains.html Anonymous Hosting - Anonymous Domain Names - Katz<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>http://www.anonix.net/why.html</ref> 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 [[mail]]ing [[Address (geography)|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 == <div class="references-small"> <references/> </div> == External links == * [http://does-not-exist.org/proxies.html WHOIS Task Force 2 -- Proxy Registration (and related) Services] (contains a list of services) * [http://log.does-not-exist.org/archives/2004/02/24/1371_proxy_registration_providers.html Proxy registration providers] * [http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,66787,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_1 Domain owners lose privacy] — [[Wired News]] article about .us domains * [http://www.neilturner.me.uk/2005/Aug/12/fauxdaddy.html Blog post] about fauxdaddy.org * [http://www.technolojik.net Whois Search] {{compu-domain-stub}} [[Category:Domain name system|Privacy]] [[Category:Internet privacy]]