When you Register a domain name the Whois of your domain name lists your personal information (such as Name, Company Name, Address, Telephone Number, Email Address) as Contact Details for that domain name. This information becomes available to anyone who performs a Whois lookup of your domain name.
Your personal information is, therefore, at risk from being manipulated by data miners, who can then target you via junk email, prank telephone calls, postal messages, fax messages, etc..
What is WHOIS Privacy?
WHOIS Privacy is a service which can be added to your domain name. When a domain name is registered, your personal information is attached to the domain name and is visible to the public. The WHOIS Privacy service updates your domain name with generic information, protecting your identity. Your personal information will never be made available.
What domain name extensions (TLDs) are eligible for WHOIS Privacy?
WHOIS Privacy is available for .com, .net, .org, .info, .co, .biz, .uk.com and .mobi domain names.
How do I enable WHOIS Privacy for my domain name?
To enable WHOIS Privacy for your domain name, you may purchase it by logging into the client portal. Select Domains -> My Domains, click Manage Domain for the domain you wish to enable WHOIS Privacy and then click the Addons tab.
The charge for this service is £4.99 per domain name per year. You can enable WHOIS Privacy for each and every domain name you have registered through us. Once purchased, you will receive an email from TuCows requesting verification. Once you complete the verification process, your domain name information will be updated.
What information is displayed for my domain name?
When you enable WHOIS Privacy for your domain name, we replace your Contact Details in the Whois information with generic contact details, thus, masking your real personal contact details.
How can people contact you if WHOIS Privacy is enabled for your domain name?
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Letters, couriers delivered at the Postal Address would not be accepted. This implies, that you will not be contactable at the address displayed in your domain name Whois.
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Telephone callers would be advised to email you at the email address displayed in the Whois of your domain name.
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Email sent to the email address listed in the Whois, will get a response specifying a URL, which needs to be visited by this person. Upon visiting this URL, they would be able to mention their query in a secure form, while specifying the type of Contact (Registrant, Administrative, Technical, Billing) they wish to email. The contents of the submitted form will then be emailed to the selected Contact's (Registrant, Administrative, Technical or Billing) email address, as specified in your Control Panel.
Can I display my own information for my domain name?
No, the information displayed must be displayed exactly as shown to satisfy ICANN regulations and to ensure that the public has the information they require to contact you if necessary.
Do I still have ownership of my domain name?
Yes, you still have ownership of your domain name after WHOIS Privacy is enabled. The WHOIS Privacy service protects your identity, it does not change the owner of the domain name.
