WHOIS privacy: protect your personal information

When you register a domain name, your personal information is stored in the WHOIS database. Anyone can request this data. Fortunately, there's WHOIS privacy - a service that shields your information. In this article, we explain what WHOIS is, why privacy matters, and how to protect yourself.

What is WHOIS?

WHOIS is a public registry that maintains ownership information for domain names. It was developed in the 1980s to identify who is responsible for a domain.

A WHOIS lookup typically reveals:

• Name of the domain owner
• Address and phone number
• Email address
• Registration and expiration dates
• Nameservers
• The registrar where the domain is registered

Why is WHOIS privacy important?

Protection against spam

Once your details are in the WHOIS database, they're harvested by spam bots. Your email address gets flooded with unwanted messages, and you may even receive phone spam.

Preventing identity fraud

With your name, address, and contact details, malicious actors can commit identity fraud. They can use your information for phishing or other forms of scam.

Privacy in general

Not everyone wants their home address public. Freelancers, bloggers, and small business owners working from home have legitimate reasons to keep their address private.

Protection against domain hijacking

Attackers can use your information for social engineering. They call the registrar, pretend to be you, and try to gain access to your domain.

What is WHOIS privacy?

WHOIS privacy (also called "domain privacy" or "ID protection") is a service where the registrar replaces your information with their own in the WHOIS database.

Instead of:

Name: John Smith
Address: Main Street 1, Amsterdam
Email: john@example.com

It shows:

Name: Privacy Protection Service
Address: Registrar BV, PO Box 123
Email: proxy123@registrar.com

Messages to the proxy address are forwarded to you, but the sender doesn't see your real details.

Which registrars offer free WHOIS privacy?

Good news: most Dutch registrars now offer free WHOIS privacy. This is partly thanks to GDPR, which requires European registrars to protect personal data.

When comparing domain prices, you usually don't need to worry about extra costs for privacy.

GDPR and WHOIS

Since GDPR came into effect in 2018, much has changed. The legislation requires that personal data cannot simply be public.

What does this mean for .nl domains? SIDN no longer shows personal data by default in public WHOIS for individuals. Only organizations are still displayed.

What does this mean for .com domains? ICANN (the international domain authority) has adjusted the rules. Registrars may hide personal data to comply with GDPR.

What does this mean for you? For most European domain owners, personal data is already protected. But it varies by registrar and TLD. Always check your own WHOIS data to be sure.

How to check your WHOIS data?

You can look up your own WHOIS data via:

• SIDN (for .nl): sidn.nl/whois
• ICANN (for .com): lookup.icann.org
• EURid (for .eu): whois.eurid.eu

Search for your domain name and see what information is visible.

Activating WHOIS privacy

If you don't have WHOIS privacy active yet:

1. Log in to your registrar
2. Go to domain settings
3. Look for "WHOIS privacy", "ID protection" or "privacy shield"
4. Activate the option

With most modern registrars, this is free and done with one click.

Frequently asked questions

Is WHOIS privacy legal? Yes, WHOIS privacy is completely legal. You still comply with the obligation to have correct details with the registrar - they're just not publicly displayed.

Do I need WHOIS privacy for a business domain? Business details are less sensitive than personal ones, but spam and unwanted calls are still annoying. Most companies therefore also choose privacy.

Can I be contacted despite WHOIS privacy? Technically yes - messages to the proxy address are forwarded. But the sender doesn't know who you are, which prevents most spam.

Does WHOIS privacy affect my SEO? No, WHOIS privacy has no impact on SEO. Google doesn't use WHOIS data for ranking.