What Is WHOIS?
WHOIS is a public directory storing registrant name, email, phone, and address for every domain. Spammers, stalkers, and competitors scrape it daily. Privacy protection replaces your data with proxy information.
How Privacy Works
Registrar inserts its own contact (e.g., “Whois Privacy Corp.”) and forwards legitimate emails to you. Legal ownership remains yours; proxy only acts as a shield.
Free vs Paid Privacy
Namecheap, Cloudflare, Porkbun include privacy at no cost. GoDaddy charged $9.99/year until GDPR forced free tiers. Some new gTLDs still bill $3-$5/year—check before checkout.
GDPR Impact
Since 2018, EU-based registrants enjoy automatic data redaction under GDPR. Non-EU persons can opt-in to privacy for same protection. Law enforcement can still request data via court order.
When You Must Expose Data
Some ccTLDs (.de, .eu) require local presence and prohibit privacy. EV SSL certificates also demand public whois match—plan accordingly or use organization address instead of home.
Business vs Personal
Companies may want public whois to signal legitimacy; use a P.O. Box or registered agent address to avoid doxxing executives. Solo creators should almost always enable privacy.
Downsides of Privacy
- Some buyers distrust hidden whois, reducing outbound sales response
- Uptime monitors may flag “registrar privacy” as risk factor
- Trademark owners need unmasked whois for UDRP evidence
Temporarily Disabling Privacy
Most registrars let you toggle off for 24 hours, then auto-re-enable. Use window to verify domain for SSL, submit UDRP, or satisfy escrow ID requirements.
Email Forwarding Limits
Proxies throttle or scan forwarded mail; marketing newsletters often bounce. Set up direct MX (Google Workspace) for production email; keep privacy for registrant contact only.
Takeaway
Enable privacy by default, disable only when legally required. It’s free insurance against spam, scams, and stalkers—no modern portfolio should be without it.