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A
lot of people
utilize WhoIs privacy
services to keep their personal
contact details (including name,
telephone number, email, and postal
address) from being available to anyone
who wants to look it up in the
public WhoIs record that is
accessible through any registrar as
well as a variety of independent
sites. I've personally never used
the privacy option on my
domains but I recognize there are
many valid reasons why others
might wish to do so. Just one
of those is that spammers
routinely harvest public WhoIs
information for their email lists
and unwanted phone solicitations.
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Privacy
image from Bigstock
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Still,
ICANN is considering a new program
(.pdf file) that if enacted could remove
the privacy option for many users.
Some registrars and other service
providers opposed to the proposed
changes have banded together to create
a website at SaveDomainPrivacy.org
that details all of the issues
involved and what is at stake for
domain registrants. Among other
caveats, the
site notes, "Providers
could be required to give your private
contact details to anyone complaining
that your website violates their
trademark or copyright. None of
these scenarios would require a court
order, search warrant, or due
process of any kind."
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ICANN
currently has a public
comment period on this
matter open and
SaveDomainPriivacy.org is
urging all registrants opposed
to this change to send a
message to ICANN before the
comment period closes July
7, 2015. You can simply
put your thoughts into an
email and send to [email protected].
You’ll receive an
automatic reply asking you to
confirm your email address and
once you confirm, your comment
will be posted. Alternately
(or in conjunction with your
email) the site had also
posted a petition
you can sign that will be
forwarded to ICANN. |
All of
the details are on SaveDomainPrivacy.org
and I would recommend reading what is
on the concise site first then, if you
are moved to do so, add your voice to
the others concerned about the
proposed changes.
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