Security

[Netty]

Is it legal that WHoIS is giving the personal information of a domain owner to anybody in the world?
I was not warned about this when I was registering my domain at NPs.
Do you know a legal way I could remove my information from there?

 

[Dave_Z]

Is it legal that WHoIS is giving the personal information of a domain owner to anybody in the world?
I was not warned about this when I was registering my domain at NPs.
Do you know a legal way I could remove my information from there?

It's in every domain provider's agreement that every person's contact details
will be listed in a public WHOIS database. Until that provider's jurisdiction has
any applicable law banning that, there's nothing illegal about it.

While you weren't "warned" about that, does someone have to warn you that
you need to know what the gas pedal is for when buying a car?

Unless you're, say, in the U.K. since they do have some data protection laws
involving personal information, there's no legally feasible way to demand that
your details be removed.

You learn something new every other day.

 

[tophatter]

Netty, There is a private registration option at many registrars.Most of them you would have to pay an extra fee to keep it private but some offer it for free.
You should see if you can add that option on ,call the customer support team at the registrar and ask them.

Regards

 

[labrocca]

Dave pretty much stated the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Is your domain registration linking to you in some way a secret?

 

[Dave_Z]

Dave pretty much stated the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

The truth hurts, but supposedly it can set you free. :D

 

[verbster]

Dave pretty much stated the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

His "gas pedal" analogy was total nonsense.

 

[Peter]

Is it legal that WHoIS is giving the personal information of a domain owner to anybody in the world?
I was not warned about this when I was registering my domain at NPs.
Do you know a legal way I could remove my information from there?

When you registered your domain name you will have had to agree to terms and conditions. Did you read those terms and conditions?

The chances are that the whois information being made available was mentioned within them. Also as pointed out most registrars provide a whois privacy service so that your whois data can be hidden if need be.

There is no information within a whois that cannot be gained from elsewhere such as a telephone book or the electoral register (here in the UK anyway, did you know it is compulsory for councils to sell this data if requested no matter what the intended use).

 

[Dave_Z]

His "gas pedal" analogy was total nonsense.

Maybe. That analogy came off at the top of my head that time.

But if the OP, or anyone else reading this who's in a similar scenario, is able to
understand the point of it, then that's good enough for me.

 

[Domagon]

Owning a domain is in many ways like owning a house in that ownership is typically public record; real estate pricing is often public too, which surprises many people, but I digress.

In regards to domains, there are ways to mask one's real identity, such as anonymous whois proxy services that many registrars offer - some like Namecheap offer it free while others offer it for a few dollars per year.

Ron

 

[IAmAllanShore]

Maybe. That analogy came off at the top of my head that time.

I think it's a good one

If we wanted to keep it US-centric, why not say "buying a car", or "buying a house", or "starting a business" - all of these involve putting your "private" information into the public domain for prying eyes to see your attachment to whatever car/house/business (license) you buy! (Got beat on the "house" analogy, but I still claim the others :notme: )

(Better analogy? Probably not ).

-Allan :gl:

 

[Netty]

. . .

In regards to domains, there are ways to mask one's real identity, such as anonymous whois proxy services that many registrars offer - some like Namecheap offer it free while others offer it for a few dollars per year.

Ron

Thank you for an example!

It's in every domain provider's agreement that every person's contact details
will be listed in a public WHOIS database. Until that provider's jurisdiction has
any applicable law banning that, there's nothing illegal about it.

While you weren't "warned" about that, does someone have to warn you that
you need to know what the gas pedal is for when buying a car?

Unless you're, say, in the U.K. since they do have some data protection laws
involving personal information, there's no legally feasible way to demand that
your details be removed.

You learn something new every other day.

What I'm not comfortable with is the fact that they listed even my personal phone # there, it simply is no gas pedal, it's more like a see through walls and the door that has no lock. Just like with phone books, you are asked if you'd like your personal info to be displayed for the general public and it's your right not to share it with people that could cause harm. By the way I'm registered with Namepros and no, I did not read the agreement cause a friend of mine recommended it, who has been around this stuff for years. I wonder why he did not warn me about this ...

 

[evertonian7uk]

simply pay the extra to hide the whois problem solved, and for future reference read the ToS you'll be surprised whats in some them.

If in doubt, check it out mate.

 

[labrocca]

I have hundreds of domains and use my own home phone. I have yet to get even one problem caller. I did however get some nice offers via phone.

I think people are too paranoid.

 

[Ronald Regging]

I have hundreds of domains and use my own home phone. I have yet to get even one problem caller. I did however get some nice offers via phone.

I think people are too paranoid.

Same with me, minus the nice offers

 

[flamewalker]

Same with me, minus the nice offers

Same here... there are 3rd party companies that will offer whois protection as well... however I would lean towards what the registrar provides, as they will have the real info on hand in the case of a legal 'skirmish' or some other need for someone to get in contact with you.

 

[liquidcherry]

I posted my Phone# not only on all of my domains, i made it public in every forum i know, on every directory, i even setup a little website for it....AND NOBODY CALLED ME SO FAR, CRY!!!!!!! :lol:

Cheers

Frank

 

[Dave_Z]

What I'm not comfortable with is the fact that they listed even my personal phone # there, it simply is no gas pedal, it's more like a see through walls and the door that has no lock. Just like with phone books, you are asked if you'd like your personal info to be displayed for the general public and it's your right not to share it with people that could cause harm. By the way I'm registered with Namepros and no, I did not read the agreement cause a friend of mine recommended it, who has been around this stuff for years. I wonder why he did not warn me about this ...

Analogies can only do so much as long as it helps one to understand what the
thing's about. But the essential point is every .com registration must show the
name and contact information per the terms of our agreements, even if we do
not like it.

OTOH, as been pointed out, you can use another set of contact data like that
of your business, your registrar's WHOIS privacy service, or even that of a 3rd
party. Options are abound, though all of them can have a set of risks.

I won't be surprised if your friend didn't warn you because s/he wasn't asked
about it in the first place. One would probably have to be a psychic to guess
what's on another person's mind unless asked outright.

 

[tinner666]

All my data is there and I've never had any trouble. And if regged a TM type name, privacy wouldn't help you, or hinder them.

 

[Mark]

I've used Privacy in the past , But am actually moving toward open whois across the board. I actually think Potential clients/buyers/sellers Trust people with nothing to hide more often.
Spam and Phone solicitors are always going to be a problem no matter what we do IMO .... :blink: