US Government nixes private .US domain registrations

Just got this little email from Domains By Proxy (I'm pretty sure they are owned by GoDaddy) and I hadn't heard about it anywhere else so I thought I'd drop it in here. I don't actually have a .US domain with them anymore but I'm glad they sent it to me anyway. Sure, it absolutely requires site operators to post real name and address details. This is great if you're dealing with a company but what about bloggers and such? Do I really have to give the public my real name, address, and telephone number to post photos of my cat chasing his tail? It's not like this was not already available to law enforcement by simple request.

Quote:

Tuesday, February 21, 2006 in compliance with a mandate of the U.S. government Domains By Proxy's contact information on your private .US domain name was cancelled.

What does this mean to you?

First, it means your personal contact information for your .US domain name is now publicly available in the WhoIs database.

Second, it means you will now manage your .US domain name from within your registrar's management interface, and not from within Domains By Proxy's management interface.

Please note that the cancellation of privacy ONLY affected .US domain names. If you have other domain names that utilize Domains By Proxy's privacy service, those domains are unaffected. Your personal contact information is still protected from public view and is not exposed in the WhoIs database.

We previously sent several notices about the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's decision to discontinue private registration of .US domain names. In those notifications, we suggested you review the contact information for your .US domain name, and ensure you were comfortable with that information being made public. If you have not done so, you should review that information now -- because that information is NOW publicly available.

If you are displeased with your information being available in the WhoIs database, you have two options. First, you may want to update your contact information with your business information, rather than your personal information. Second, you may want to privately register your domain name with a different extension, such as .COM, and cancel your .US domain name entirely. To privately register your domain name with another extension, please contact your registrar.

Finally, if you are troubled by the NTIA's decision which has unilaterally stripped you of your right to privacy please visit www.americansdeserveprivacy.com, where you'll find detailed information on how to contact your elected representatives and voice your opposition. Of course, if you need to speak to someone at Domains By Proxy, please call 480-624-2599.

Sincerely,
The Domains By Proxy Team