LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Whois: Current Whois
built 605 days ago
Current Whois policy requires that domain name registrants' names, mailing addresses, e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, and fax numbers be made publicly available. In its preliminary report, the Whois Task Force agrees that new mechanisms to restrict contact data from publication should be adopted to address privacy concerns.
Source:
ICANN's GNSO Council stumbled and bumbled its way to a nonresolution of the Whois privacy controversy today (Wednesday, All Hallows Eve). On the surface, nothing changed. Despite ICANN's inertia... the "status quo" Whois is gradually being eroded by a combination of market forces, which allow registrants to buy a modicum of privacy protection from registrars, and the ongoing threat of legal assaults on Whois from outside the United States. A growing number of ccTLDs and gTLDs can be expected to force ICANN to adjust its Whois requirements to the data protection laws of other countries, the most current example being the TELNIC case. This means that the status quo equilibrium left in place by ICANN's inability to act is tilting slowly in favor of privacy. At the same time, law enforcement and takedown measures are taking new directions, pioneered by the Anti-Phishing Working Group, that also work outside the ICANN process.
Source:
In Congress, EPIC Urges Privacy Safeguards for WHOIS Data EPIC Executive Director Marc Rotenberg testified before the House Finance Committee in support of new privacy safeguards for WHOIS, the directory of Internet domain owners. Currently anyone with an Internet connection, including spammers, phishers, and stalkers, can access information in the WHOIS database. Citing the growing risk of identity theft, EPIC supported an ICANN proposal to limit public access to personal information. (Jul. 18)
Source:
WHOIS is a TCP-based transaction-oriented query/response protocol that is widely used to provide information services to Internet users. While originally used to provide "white pages" services and information about registered domain names, current deployments cover a much broader range of information services. The protocol delivers its content in a human-readable format.
Source:
WHOIS services provide public access to data on registered domain names, which currently includes contact information for Registered Name Holders. The extent of registration data collected at the time of registration of a domain name, and the ways such data can be accessed, are specified in agreements established by ICANN for domain names registered in generic top-level domains (gTLDs). For example, ICANN requires accredited registrars to collect and provide free public access to the name of the registered domain name and its nameservers and registrar, the date the domain was created and when its registration expires, and the contact information for the Registered Name Holder, the technical contact, and the administrative contact.
Source:
When you register a domain name, current policies require that the contact information for your domain name registration be included in a public database known as WHOIS. To learn about actions you can take to protect your WHOIS information visit www.internetprivacyadvocate.org.
Source:
MORE ABOUT
Current Whois