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ICANN is considering public whois for "Commercial activity" domains - Page 2
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ICANN is considering public whois for "Commercial activity" domains

2

Comments

  • xyzxyz Member

    hostnoob said: So things like forums won't be affected will they? even if they allow paid subscriptions?

    Although I haven't looked to see what is defined as "commercial activity", that sounds very much like "commercial activity" to me. Heck, if you run a website with ads (like >90% of websites out there), that probably constitutes commercial activity.

    The policy sounds particularly good for forum owners whom have a fair number of whiny teenagers members who don't mind swatting people they don't agree with...

  • 4n0nx4n0nx Member

    sigh

    inb4 PO box

  • joepie91joepie91 Member, Patron Provider

    Terrible idea on all fronts.

    1. "Commercial" is very hard to define. Even Creative Commons has issues with this, for their NC license.
    2. Everybody has things to hide, malicious intent or not. For some, those things include WHOIS data.
    3. "Release on copyright claim" will work approximately as well as the DMCA and similar legislation; that is to say, not at all, and with false claims abound. Not to mention that the resulting damage is worse - whereas a false DMCA might result in a temporary suspension, release of private information is irrevocable.
  • VPNVPN Member

    @rm_ said:
    Move to ccTLDs without such bullshit policies and with built-in privacy protection. .ru comes to mind (also very cheap). I suppose ICANN despite being the "global boss" can only extend this only to gTLDs and maybe to these new funny TLDs, but not ccTLDs.

    I'm fairly certain that ICANN have the overall responsibility of Internet names globally regardless of it being gTLD or ccTLD. Their only problem is going to be enforcement.

    Quite a lot of registries already have restrictions in place on who can and can't have hidden or protected WHOIS.

  • netguynetguy Member
    edited June 2015

    It's VERY BAD idea! ICANN is on wrong way. My privacy is my right and I support Namecheap activity in this case.

    It'll force me to use fake data. I prefer to use my real data but I don't want to expose them.

  • I've only got a couple dozen domains, but I use my real data - address and all. WHOIS just doesn't work! I'm sad that nobody has come to visit me. Not even a post card. :(

  • @Ole_Juul said:
    I've only got a couple dozen domains, but I use my real data - address and all. WHOIS just doesn't work! I'm sad that nobody has come to visit me. Not even a post card. :(

    Not even a postcard? TBH, I've gotten a few spam calls, lots of e-mail spam, and one letter (scan posted here on imgur). That said, I keep my data public due to the general lack of problems (my Google Voice number has permitted me to block anyone who really bothers me).

  • joepie91joepie91 Member, Patron Provider

    GoMutant said: Not even a postcard? TBH, I've gotten a few spam calls, lots of e-mail spam, and one letter (scan posted here on imgur). That said, I keep my data public due to the general lack of problems (my Google Voice number has permitted me to block anyone who really bothers me).

    I've got to say, as far as fake invoices go, that's a pretty innocent one.

  • That is indeed a pretty innocent one. I completely forgot. I got a much more elaborate fake bill like that this year. I had actually saved it because I thought it was cool. Still, that's not very much, and not at all what I had expected from what I'd thought was really a dating site. Girls do troll the WHOIS for contacts - don't they?

  • Virtual office, a little bit more per month than WHOIS protection, but just as effective.

    Much ado about nothing. If you support this and thing this is revolutionary/going to change the world, it's not.

    Thanked by 1Mark_R
  • How will they implement this?
    How will they differentiate between a regular blog or a company website?

  • netguynetguy Member

    bytechef said: How will they implement this? How will they differentiate between a regular blog or a company website?

    They implement this for all.

    I trust ICANN less and less. It's a result of the influence of such countries as India, Russia, China, etc., who are against privacy.

  • rm_rm_ IPv6 Advocate, Veteran
    edited June 2015

    netguy said: Russia, China, etc., who are against privacy.

    Oh so that must be why the Russian TLD has mandatory full whois privacy for all personal domains.

    Also the Chinese TLD seems to be the same (tried whois on many .cn domains, none show street address or phone number of the owner).

    Thanked by 1alexvolk
  • so all .com Domains will not have privacy protection completely removed, bad for the people who paid for privacy protection.

  • ClouviderClouvider Member, Patron Provider

    @netguy Your privacy is your right, your business privacy is not. As long as you don't do business you can hide your details, no one will mind, however when you are doing business there is no such thing like hiding address.

  • MrXMrX Member
    edited June 2015

    Depends on how exactly they define commercial activity and how well it is enforced, but the idea itself sounds reasonable.

    There is no good enough reason for a business to hide behind private whois. Spam can be handled with high accuracy, calls can be filtered, physical post can be set on fire, and so on.

  • 4n0nx4n0nx Member

    Clouvider said: Your privacy is your right, your business privacy is not.

    wat

    Law in many countries already regulates what information you have to display on your website. I would use whois privacy even as a legit company. Identity theft (craigslist prank lel) and spam are annoying.

  • ClouviderClouvider Member, Patron Provider

    @4n0nx agree, the SPAM from whois obtained emails is really annoying. This could be worked out better actually.

    ICANN is not doing anything new. For example, here in the UK Nominet already displays all data in whois when the domain is registered for the business (commercial use by corporation or a 'self-employed' person).

  • MaouniqueMaounique Host Rep, Veteran

    I think they mean .com domains. I only reg .net and .org ones, even .info.
    It depends on how it is implemented. If everyone is considered guilty until proven innocent and all privacy whois is removed until you prove you do not monetize your sites in any way, then we have a problem. Otherwise, nothing will change, unless they apply to .com by default, even then, I have no issue, there are few of those used for personal reasons only.

  • netguynetguy Member

    rm_ said: Oh so that must be why the Russian TLD has mandatory full whois privacy for all personal domains.

    Also the Chinese TLD seems to be the same (tried whois on many .cn domains, none show street address or phone number of the owner).

    It seems good. But it's a mirage. Do you try to register a russian domain .ru? You have to fill in your passport data, it's the simplest variant. Some russian registrar require to send your passport scan. It's not hardly. The nightmare is coming when you want to transfer your domain to another registrar. You have to go to your registrar office with your passport or send a notarize paper letter to your registrar by ordinary mail. If you are living in Siberia would you like to go to Moscow to transfer your domain?

    The latest Russian legislation is very restrictive and your data may be open without court decision, your domain registration may be frozen and you may be under trial. A lot of the government authorities may do so. And Yes, Whois is private. China is the similar.

  • netguynetguy Member

    Maounique said: It depends on how it is implemented. If everyone is considered guilty until proven innocent and all privacy whois is removed until you prove you do not monetize your sites in any way, then we have a problem.

    It will be a presumption of guilt.

  • netguynetguy Member

    Clouvider said: Your privacy is your right, your business privacy is not.

    Without exceptions! My business privacy is my privacy too! The businessman isn't a man who must be naked in front of people.

  • rm_rm_ IPv6 Advocate, Veteran
    edited June 2015

    netguy said: You have to fill in your passport data, it's the simplest variant. Some russian registrar require to send your passport scan. It's not hardly.

    Nobody promised you anonymity from your registrar, yes you have to provide the passport. But afterwards neither your street address nor phone, not even your real name will be displayed publicly in the whois for all of the Internet to see, like on TLDs with no whois privacy.

    The nightmare is coming when you want to transfer your domain to another registrar. You have to go to your registrar office with your passport or send a notarize paper letter to your registrar by ordinary mail. If you are living in Siberia would you like to go to Moscow to transfer your domain?

    Nope, but what you said earlier is correct, you can send a notarized letter. This is doable.

    Also some now implement a simplified procedure, where you sign and send a paper agreement just once, and then don't have to send letters on each domain transfer. https://www.reg.ru/support/domains/perenos-domena/perenos-domena-ot-regru/perenos-domena-v-zone-ru-su-rf-ot-regru-k-drugomu-registratoru

  • Why should a small business owner have to publicize her home address just to have a website?

    I imagine for the same reason their address is already public with their respective business registrar.

    It's only common sense that you shouldn't be able to find out any information about a business . . . what could possibly go wrong, right?

  • Mark_RMark_R Member
    edited June 2015

    it would be nice to see everyone leave ICANN powered registars, making ICANN financially feel that it is a dead end. their new idea wont solve anything, people will falsify any kind of information necessary to accomplish their goals.

    Thanked by 1geekalot
  • The Simpsons... way ahead of it's time like usual

  • k0nslk0nsl Member

    Tell ICANN: "Respect our privacy. Don't expose WHOIS data."

    I think, personally, that this will only be one step before they extend this for other "activities" — therefore, a big "no".

    Thanked by 24n0nx geekalot
  • lbftlbft Member

    Clouvider said: I actually think that's a good idea to get rid of summer hosts and similar type of 'black' business. If you do business, you shouldn't worry about hiding your address.

    So someone with a cat picture blog with AdSense deserves to get swatted?

    Thanked by 2hostnoob rm_
  • ClouviderClouvider Member, Patron Provider

    @lbft that depends on the interpretation and the actual rules. So far I've seen suggestion, or a proposition only. Nothing of a legal value, so really for me it's too speculative to comment further.

  • 4n0nx4n0nx Member

    k0nsl said: Tell ICANN:

    ty I sent mail

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