Should You Hide Yourself from the WHOIS?
When a domain is registered, the name and contact details of the domain holder along with other details like registration date, IP address, nameserver details etc are entered into a database called the WHOIS database. This is a requirement by the ICANN to which all accredited registrars adhere to. The WHOIS database is accessible to all and at all times. This means that anybody can query the WHOIS database and retrieve information on a particular domain name. Such query services are known as WHOIS lookup and many websites offer this as a free service.
A WHOIS lookup is useful when you want to
- check the availability of a new domain name
- find or contact a particular domain name holder
- check the expiry date of a registered domain name
- trace the identity of a spammer etc.
The downside of all this (for a domain holder) is that there is a lot of personal information that is available to the public through the WHOIS system. This provides ample opportunity for spamming, identity thefts and the likes. Telemarketers, spammers, stalkers and identity thieves often scour the WHOIS database for potential victims.
Hence, it is only natural that domain name holders opt to hide themselves from the WHOIS lookup. The advantages are manifold.
- It reduces unsolicited mails drastically.
- It deters spammers and telemarketers.
- It provides additional protection against online identity thefts.
- It protects personal information such as name, residential/office address, phone numbers.
There could be a number of other reasons (including business) why a domain name holder may not want his details publicly visible in the WHOIS database for every domain he owns. All of these could be valid ones too. All the same, in this age of ever increasing cybercrimes, security considerations alone should be enough to tilt your decision in favor of hiding from the WHOIS.
So, think before you decide. Hiding yourself from this public database is in no way illegal. You can always use a proxy server or opt for private domain registration to conceal yourself from the WHOIS lookup system. Your domain registrar will be able to provide you specific information on how this is can be implemented.