What Is WHOIS?
WHOIS is a public database containing registration information for every domain. Originally created in the 1980s for network administrators, it now exposes registrant details to anyone who looks.
What WHOIS Exposes
Without Privacy Protection
- • Full legal name
- • Home/business address
- • Phone number
- • Email address
- • Registration date
- • Expiration date
- • Registrar used
With Privacy Protection
- • Privacy service name
- • Privacy service address
- • Forwarding email
- • Proxy phone number
- • Registration date (still visible)
- • Expiration date (still visible)
- • Registrar (still visible)
GDPR and WHOIS Changes
The EU's GDPR (2018) changed WHOIS significantly:
- • EU registrants now have personal data redacted by default
- • Many registrars extended this protection globally
- • Some data still accessible to law enforcement, trademark holders
Result: Basic privacy is more common now, but enabling full privacy protection is still recommended.
Why Privacy Matters
Spam Prevention
Bots harvest WHOIS data for spam. Expect domain-related junk mail within days of registering without privacy.
Physical Security
Your home address being public can enable stalking, harassment, or unwanted visitors—especially for controversial content.
Social Engineering Protection
Attackers use WHOIS data to impersonate you to registrar support and hijack your domain.
Registrars with Free Privacy
- ✓ Cloudflare: Built-in, always on
- ✓ Porkbun: Free on all domains
- ✓ Namecheap: WhoisGuard free
- ✓ Google/Squarespace: Included
- ✓ Dynadot: Free on all domains
Registrars That Charge
- • GoDaddy: $9.99/year
- • Network Solutions: $9.99/year
Best Practice
Always enable WHOIS privacy. Choose a registrar that includes it free. There's no good reason to have your personal information publicly accessible.
If your current registrar charges for privacy, transfer to one that doesn't.