What is the difference between public and private domain name registration?
Per our registrar agreement with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the contact and registrant information listed for your domain name must be made public. Using false information is a violation and can lead to the termination of your domain name registration.
We understand most people do not want their personal contact information (name, address, email address, and phone number) made public in the Whois database. That’s why we have offered Private Registration services through an affiliate company, Domains By Proxy® (DBP), since 2002.
When you purchase DBP Private Registration services, the Whois database lists DBP's name, mailing address, and phone number instead of your personal contact information.
DBP also creates a private unique email address for your domain name — you decide to have any arriving email forwarded, filtered for spam, or not forwarded at all.
Although DBP is listed as the registrant of your domain name on the Whois database, you retain FULL CONTROL over your domain name. You can:
- Cancel, sell, or renew your domain name
- Control the content for your website
- Set the nameservers for your domain name
- Update your underlying domain name contact information
- Resolve any and all disputes involving your domain name
Private Registration provides a variety of benefits! It helps you:
- Protect your identity
- Stop domain name-related spam
- Thwart harassers and stalkers
- End data mining
- Maintain personal and family privacy
- Prevent your domain from being hijacked
- Shield legitimate entrepreneurial business endeavors
- Voice political and other First Amendment speech
DBP does not allow you to use its private domain name services for spamming, violating the law, or engaging in morally objectionable activities. Violating these policies will result in service cancellation.
