GDPR V's Domain Privacy Print

What Is WHOIS?

WHOIS is a public database that shows ownership and contact information for registered domain names.

Without protection, WHOIS may display:

• Full name

• Email address

• Phone number

• Mailing address

This can expose domain owners to spam, scams, and privacy risks.

What Is Domain Privacy?

Domain Privacy (also called WHOIS Privacy Protection) is an optional service that hides your personal details from public view in the WHOIS database.

With Domain Privacy enabled, your contact details are replaced with a proxy like this:

Registrant Name: Redacted for Privacy
Registrant Email: proxy@domainprivacyservice.com

This protects you from:

• Spam emails & robocalls

• Identity theft

• Unwanted solicitations

✅ Available for most domains like .com, .net, and .org. Some extensions (like .us or .au) do not allow WHOIS privacy due to local rules.

 

???????? What Is GDPR?

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is an EU law that came into effect in 2018. It regulates how personal data is collected, used, and stored for anyone located in the EU/EEA.

Key protections include:

• The right to access or delete your data

• Consent for data processing

• Transparency and security requirements

• Fines for non-compliance

How GDPR Affects WHOIS:

Due to GDPR, many registrars now automatically redact WHOIS data for EU residents, even if Domain Privacy isn’t explicitly turned on.

So if you see "Redacted for Privacy", it may be because:

• You enabled Domain Privacy, or

• The registrar is complying with GDPR

???? Why Are Some WHOIS Records Still Public?

Not all domain owners choose (or are eligible) to hide their info. Some reasons:

• Domain Privacy wasn’t purchased

• The domain extension doesn’t support masking

• The owner is a business or public organisation

✅ Best Practice: Use Both

To maximize privacy and compliance:

• Enable Domain Privacy (where available) to protect your contact details

• Follow GDPR guidelines if your site collects or processes data from EU users

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HostingRoo offers easy tools to manage both — check your domain settings or contact support if you need help.