.us .US soon to lose private domain name registrations

[QBert]

just got this email from godady.

Dear Valued Go Daddy Customer,

Today I have the unfortunate responsibility of informing you that there has been
a decision made by bureaucrats of a Federal agency that takes away your right to
privacy as guaranteed by the United States Constitution.

This decision was unilaterally made by the National Telecommunications and
Information Association ("NTIA") -- http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ -- without hearings
that would determine the impact on those affected, and delivered without notice
-- in short, the NTIA decision was made without due process of any kind. This is
exactly how our government is not supposed to work.

The effect of this decision is to disallow new private domain name registrations
on .US domain names. In addition, if you already own a private .US domain name
registration, you will be forced to forfeit your privacy no later than January
26, 2006. By that time, you will need to choose between either making your
personal information available to anyone who wants to see it, or giving up your
right to that domain name.

I personally find it ironic that our right to .US privacy was stripped away,
without due process, by a federal government agency -- an agency that should be
looking out for our individual rights. For the NTIA to choose the .US extension
is the ultimate slap in your face. .US is the only domain name that is
specifically intended for Americans (and also those who have a physical presence
in our great country). So think about this for a moment. These bureaucrats
stripped away the privacy that you're entitled to as an American, on the only
domain name that says that you are an American. I am outraged by this -- you
should be also.

If, like me, you are outraged at the NTIA's decision to strip away our
constitutional right to privacy, the Web site
http://www.TheDangerOfNoPrivacy.com will provide you with a petition to sign.
(Only your name will be published, your address and email information will be
kept private.) This Web site also provides a very easy way for you to send
either a fax or an email, expressing your outrage, to your Congressperson and
Senators. This is all provided at no cost to you. All that is required is for
you to take the time to visit http://www.TheDangerOfNoPrivacy.com sign the
petition, and send the fax or email to your legislators.

On my personal Blog -- http://www.BobParsons.com -- there are a number of
articles where you can learn more about the NTIA's unfortunate decision and what
you can do to help get it reversed.

I also will be talking about our right to privacy on Radio Go Daddy, our weekly
radio show that debuts today, March 30, at 7 PM PST. To find out how to listen
in, please visit the Web site dedicated to the show, http://www.RadioGoDaddy.com

You can be sure that I, and everyone at GoDaddy.com, will do everything in our
power to get the NTIA decision reversed. However, we need your help. Please
visit http://www.TheDangerOfNoPrivacy.com to sign the petition and express your
feelings to your Congressperson and Senators.

Sincerely,

Bob Parsons
President and Founder
GoDaddy.com

 

[True_Snake]

I was just about to post that.

Good thing I don't have a .US domain.


True_Snake

 

[deu12000]

But what exactly does this mean? I got the email earlier today does that only mean you can't use an anonymous whois service? Or is the effect much bigger than that? If all that it means is I can't anonymously register a domain, it's alright with me since I have nothing to hide.

 

[CrazyTech]

I believe it means that you cannot use any sort of anonymous protection when you register a .us domain name. It doesn't personally bother me with business but I cannot say that I agree with the decision.

However, I also haven't received that email yet.

I also always thought that when a law came into effect like this that those who already had it didn't have to give it up until it came around for renewal or changed possession.

 

[vip-ip]

I was about to post the same topic... Got this in my e-mail, thought it was fake at first... is it?

 

[CrazyTech]

That's what I'm wondering...

 

[EbookLover]

But what exactly does this mean? I got the email earlier today does that only mean you can't use an anonymous whois service? Or is the effect much bigger than that? If all that it means is I can't anonymously register a domain, it's alright with me since I have nothing to hide.

You are the perfect example of an AmeriKan.

------------------------------------------------------

 

[RickyG]

I think it is as real as possible. I just went to godaddy.com and there is a text link to his site on the top of godaddy.

I just wonder how this is going to sit with big brother

 

[EbookLover]

You are hopeless if you cannot believe the facts as they are displayed to you all over the place.

Dear Valued Go Daddy Customer,

Today I have the unfortunate responsibility of informing you that there has been
a decision made by bureaucrats of a Federal agency that takes away your right to
privacy as guaranteed by the United States Constitution.

This decision was unilaterally made by the National Telecommunications and
Information Association ("NTIA") -- http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ -- without hearings
that would determine the impact on those affected, and delivered without notice
-- in short, the NTIA decision was made without due process of any kind. This is
exactly how our government is not supposed to work.

The effect of this decision is to disallow new private domain name registrations
on .US domain names. In addition, if you already own a private .US domain name
registration, you will be forced to forfeit your privacy no later than January
26, 2006. By that time, you will need to choose between either making your
personal information available to anyone who wants to see it, or giving up your
right to that domain name.

I personally find it ironic that our right to .US privacy was stripped away,
without due process, by a federal government agency -- an agency that should be
looking out for our individual rights. For the NTIA to choose the .US extension
is the ultimate slap in your face. .US is the only domain name that is
specifically intended for Americans (and also those who have a physical presence
in our great country). So think about this for a moment. These bureaucrats
stripped away the privacy that you're entitled to as an American, on the only
domain name that says that you are an American. I am outraged by this -- you
should be also.

If, like me, you are outraged at the NTIA's decision to strip away our
constitutional right to privacy, the Web site
http://www.TheDangerOfNoPrivacy.com will provide you with a petition to sign.
(Only your name will be published, your address and email information will be
kept private.) This Web site also provides a very easy way for you to send
either a fax or an email, expressing your outrage, to your Congressperson and
Senators. This is all provided at no cost to you. All that is required is for
you to take the time to visit http://www.TheDangerOfNoPrivacy.com sign the
petition, and send the fax or email to your legislators.

On my personal Blog -- http://www.BobParsons.com -- there are a number of
articles where you can learn more about the NTIA's unfortunate decision and what
you can do to help get it reversed.

I also will be talking about our right to privacy on Radio Go Daddy, our weekly
radio show that debuts today, March 30, at 7 PM PST. To find out how to listen
in, please visit the Web site dedicated to the show, http://www.RadioGoDaddy.com

You can be sure that I, and everyone at GoDaddy.com, will do everything in our
power to get the NTIA decision reversed. However, we need your help. Please
visit http://www.TheDangerOfNoPrivacy.com to sign the petition and express your
feelings to your Congressperson and Senators.

Sincerely,

Bob Parsons
President and Founder
GoDaddy.com

AmeriKa is upon us. Good job, Americans, for letting it happen.

 

[Mystic]

its right, as people should know who, but what if you have annoyed some phsyco who wants to come kill you, all they need to do is a whois, all my domains are registered in my real address, but if i would use whois guard, i would rather get in a business/company address or a fake address 123 street
city....blah blah

 

[AdoptableDomains]

My response in this parallel thread:

http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?p=512909#post512909

 

[deu12000]

It could be a typical American response, but it was a personal opinion. I don't need the anonymity for my domains since I have no controversial material on any of my sites. Don't get me wrong if I had something controversial or even adult material up, I'd probably want to use some kind of whois protection service but I don't so I don't need it and this decision doesn't affect me. Trust me I know this country gets worse with privacy issues and laws every day, but for everything the law does there are ways around it.

 

[-db-]

You are the perfect example of an AmeriKan.

AmeriKa is upon us. Good job, Americans, for letting it happen.

What exactly are you trying to say with those comments?

By the way, our great country is spelled America, and it's proud citizens are Americans.

There is no "K" in either of them.

OK? Thank you.

 

[namescanada]

no privacy

First off, I am Canadian. If my two cents are worth anything, here it is. I believe the reaction of the Federal Agency is in reponse to terrorism + too many freaks on the Internet. Law Enforcement, Congress and President want an open book. While I don't agree with the ruling since I enjoy a Federal Chief Privacy Officer, I believe this is why the .us legislation came to be. To the CEO of Godaddy, make sure you spend some of your money fighting this. :kickass:

 

[ZuraX]

I like this!!! I Hate when I do a whois on a domain thats spammed me and get whois guard or something like it. ALso UK dinaubs suck because they dont show much info on the owner of the domain. All TLD's need to follow this example. Would mean less losers doing criminal acts if they can be found real easy.

 

[Teddy]

I am from America and personally think this is terrible. I am 17 and will be writing many letters to different people. I don't want anyone to be able to just access to my private information, i mean it is private for a reason. Imagine if some random person did not like the content on my web site so he showed up at my house? or if he started to send threating letters? This is not my idea of free business, in a way it almost restricts you from free speech if you have to be thinking every second "is someone not going to like this if i put it up, i better be careful they might come to my house?". I think its terrible and i personally will try to fight it.

 

[slipondajimmy]

This is a bad bad thing. I dont normally use any privacy service nor do I even use my home address but this is a serious invasion of privacy. If dont want people to know any whois info then I should have that option. From what I understand this is on .us names right now but whats stopping them from not allowing privacy on all ext. ?

 

[AdoptableDomains]

From what I understand this is on .us names right now but whats stopping them from not allowing privacy on all ext. ?

The .us is under different jurisdiction, since it's basically property of the US government, with full legal control reserved from the start. The gTLD's have still have some control by the US, but ICANN has been partially handed over as an independent entity run by people from other countries as well. The registry contracts are very different, and only .us is under full nexus of the US legal system.

I am from America and personally think this is terrible. I am 17 and will be writing many letters to different people. I don't want anyone to be able to just access to my private information, i mean it is private for a reason. Imagine if some random person did not like the content on my web site so he showed up at my house? or if he started to send threating letters? This is not my idea of free business, in a way it almost restricts you from free speech if you have to be thinking every second "is someone not going to like this if i put it up, i better be careful they might come to my house?". I think its terrible and i personally will try to fight it.

Even with whois privacy, there is no such thing as true anonymity on the internet. Virtually everything can be traced with enough time and resources. I personally don't think that freedom of speach is the same thing as anonymity in speach.

You can always use a gTLD for whois privacy, but don't be fooled into believing that completely hides you. Anything you post can ultimately be lead back to an IP address or even a MAC address of the network card of your computer.

 

[-db-]

At one time, I had an idea....

www.BlockWhois.com

Got a really nice (relevant, meaningful) domain. Made a nice logo.

That's as far as I got.

 

[deadserious]

I think it's dumb even though I don't use private registration for any of my domains. I doubt forcing that on just .us domains is really going to make much of a difference with anything. People will still register .us domains with false information and such but, well I could be wrong.