Any way to hide/make unavailable WHOIS information?

[DBR]

I am a few steps away from *finally* putting my final, permanent, complete home on the web up -- something I have been planning to do for about 8 years. One thing to scratch off my things-to-do-before-I-die-or-worse list.

However, I'm concerned about my address, name and phone number being attached to my website, visible to anyone and everyone.

The company I registered my domain with does not offer any solutions, and I wonder if anyone has any thoughts or experience as to a way around this.

 

[Deleted 2]

You could get a P.O. box
You could submit your work address and phone number
You could lie--that would probably suck with billing.

I agree, though, that the whois database is one of the more silly remnants of the time when the web was small.

Edit: Of course, section 3559f, title 18 of the US Code makes providing inaccurate or incomplete information to the whois database an aggravating circumstance in cases of fraud, so this subject may or may not be legal to discuss here

 

[TerriO]

Zero Hour has made a valid legal point.

Providing false information on your domain registry can get you jail time provided certain conditions in the Code are met. No sense tempting fate, IMO, so don't lie on the domain registry.

My only suggestion might be to speak with a lawyer with a specialty in Internet commerce or technology and see if they know of a legal way to keep the data private. However, if your domain registrar doesn't have a method in place to keep the information out of the database, it's probably not possible.

As to alternatives, definitely look into a P.O. box if you're concerned about having you home address on the database. You can also enter a legitimate business telephone as well.

 

[Peak]

There are anonymizing features on some larger webhosts...

Here's a search: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&q=Anonymous+whois&btnG=Search

 

[Ariadne]

Of course, it's probably going to get harder to hide your identity online - governments and police forces are starting to crack down on anonymous registrations, etc, to make it easier to track down terrorist groups and pedophiles.

 

[TerriO]

Toresica said:
Of course, it's probably going to get harder to hide your identity online - governments and police forces are starting to crack down on anonymous registrations, etc, to make it easier to track down terrorist groups and pedophiles.

Let's not go there, please.

 

[DBR]

Just a little clarification: I didn't actually know WHOIS info was law, and I wasn't soliciting illegal methods, just something like having your phone number unlisted from the phone book, or a registry I could remove myself from by sending a request in writing to so-and-so (or something).

I had not thought of P.O. box, though! That'd be an easy fix!

 

[Ariadne]

A little more clarification - I wasn't implying anything at all about the current status of the law.

I was just making an offhand comment about possible changes in legislation aimed at making it easier for governments to crack down on illegal activity. I'd link to the Globe and Mail article on the subject from a few weeks ago, but it isn't online any more, that I can find.

Regardless, it looks like DBR's found a solution.

 

[Amaris]

What if I don't change my information? Suppose I start a website at one address, then so many years later I move and don't change the WHOIS information?

-J.

 

[Deleted 2]

^ It's not a crime in itself, just an aggravating circumstance if you use that domain to commit fraud, or host illegal content or something. And then only in the US.

 

[Amaris]

Zero Hour said:
^ It's not a crime in itself, just an aggravating circumstance if you use that domain to commit fraud, or host illegal content or something. And then only in the US.

I see. I just don't like the idea of having, say, a political blog where my home address is so easily and readily available by going into the ARIN.net WHOIS directory.

-J.

 

[TerriO]

^You should be able to make changes to your WHOIS listing. As we've said, you can always get a P.O. Box, so the address is still legally yours.