Webmaster's Privacy Assault! Act Fast!

All of us with websites and enjoys WHOIS privacy, listen up. We may lose our right to shield ourselves from prying eyes if we don't act NOW.

Domain name registrar Namecheap says it better than I can, so I will just paste this from their letter to me:


Hello Spyglass,

Did you know that your privacy rights are currently under threat? ICANN is considering introducing a rule that would impact all netizens. If you care about your online privacy, this is a big deal.

Under new guidelines proposed by MarkMonitor and other organizations who represent the same industries that backed SOPA, domain holders with sites associated to "commercial activity" will no longer be able to protect their private information with WHOIS protection services. "Commercial activity" casts a wide net, which means a vast number of domain holders will be affected. Your privacy provider could be forced to publish your contact data in WHOIS or give it out to anyone who complains about your website, without due process. Why should a small business owner have to publicize her home address just to have a website?

We think your privacy should be protected, regardless of whether your website is personal or commercial, and your confidential info should not be revealed without due process. If you agree, please contact ICANN right away and demand your right to privacy and due process. Let them know you object to any release of info without a court order. There's no time to waste -- the close date for comments is July 7, 2015.

Click this link to protest to ICANN: https://www.respectourprivacy.com/

Dien and Gordon, I hope posting this here meets with your approval. My apologies if I should have gotten your permission first.

Not good.

But it's something we've had for uk domains for a long time - privacy is only offered if the domain isn't used commercially but if it is available it's free.

Originally Posted by trevord92

Not good.

But it's something we've had for uk domains for a long time - privacy is only offered if the domain isn't used commercially but if it is available it's free.

Yeah, the same with this proposal. If private, private WHOIS. If commercial, no private WHOIS if ICANN goes its current path. Absolutely not good.

They should hear from everyone concerned about the loss of their domain privacy before July 7th.

[GordonJ]

Good to know.

I'm involved in a project (a Toll Booth Position) which requires an offline solicitation which directs people to an ONLINE info packet. BUT, we're not using a website...we don't want any competition on this, so no one can find any web site.

I tested this in the past, and it worked ok...now for some sites, I have the privacy and for a couple of shared sites, we use the company name and address.

I'm liking the idea of not having a web site to offer our services, but having the information available online and with bitly and tiny url etc., you can send them a link but not to a website. If this privacy thing happens, then I'll be doing more of the non website information hosting platforms.

Gordon

Originally Posted by spyglass

All of us with websites and enjoys WHOIS privacy, listen up. We may lose our right to shield ourselves from prying eyes if we don't act NOW.

Domain name registrar Namecheap says it better than I can, so I will just paste this from their letter to me:


Hello Spyglass,

Did you know that your privacy rights are currently under threat? ICANN is considering introducing a rule that would impact all netizens. If you care about your online privacy, this is a big deal.

Under new guidelines proposed by MarkMonitor and other organizations who represent the same industries that backed SOPA, domain holders with sites associated to "commercial activity" will no longer be able to protect their private information with WHOIS protection services. "Commercial activity" casts a wide net, which means a vast number of domain holders will be affected. Your privacy provider could be forced to publish your contact data in WHOIS or give it out to anyone who complains about your website, without due process. Why should a small business owner have to publicize her home address just to have a website?

We think your privacy should be protected, regardless of whether your website is personal or commercial, and your confidential info should not be revealed without due process. If you agree, please contact ICANN right away and demand your right to privacy and due process. Let them know you object to any release of info without a court order. There's no time to waste -- the close date for comments is July 7, 2015.

Click this link to protest to ICANN: https://www.respectourprivacy.com/

Dien and Gordon, I hope posting this here meets with your approval. My apologies if I should have gotten your permission first.

Originally Posted by GordonJ

Good to know.

I'm involved in a project (a Toll Booth Position) which requires an offline solicitation which directs people to an ONLINE info packet. BUT, we're not using a website...we don't want any competition on this, so no one can find any web site.

I tested this in the past, and it worked ok...now for some sites, I have the privacy and for a couple of shared sites, we use the company name and address.

I'm liking the idea of not having a web site to offer our services, but having the information available online and with bitly and tiny url etc., you can send them a link but not to a website. If this privacy thing happens, then I'll be doing more of the non website information hosting platforms.

Gordon

The best of good fortune with your project Gordon. I am building a digital services business that does down to the nitty gritty not require a website for low end, i.e., $200 - $400 services. I know this is true because people shells out this amount range daily on certain sites to people telling them they can provided what they need done. And 99% of the providers does not have a website.

But at the mid to higher end, say low four figure and a above, especially for monthly ongoing services people may want to see a website for their comfort level before pulling the trigger, sending $2,500 to my business Paypal account, etc.

I guess I will find out.

Well for all that it will or will not do to influence ICANN's decision, I will lodge my protest. If enough webmasters lets them know they protest their proposed effort to lay all business domains bare, it may cause them pause.