What is Domain Name Privacy Protection & do I need it?

Did you know that the contact details attached to your website’s domain are publicly available? They are! Each domain name is listed in WHOIS, which is a public database of all registered domains. The information in this database confirms that you are responsible for that website and everyone can see it.

What is Domain Name Privacy Protection?

Some web hosting services and domain name registrars offer Domain Name Privacy Protection. Without Domain Privacy Protection, your information is available to everyone who wants to see it. This means that anyone can see to which address, phone number, name, etc. your domain name is connected. However, if you do have Domain Privacy Protection, the information of your hosting provider/domain registrar is shown instead.

Do I Need Domain Name Privacy Protection?

Many web hosting providers offer Domain Privacy Protection. But do you really need it?

The short answer is no. If you have a website, you don’t necessarily need to add-on Domain Name Privacy Protection. However, there are some benefits of having Domain Name Privacy Protection. You can, for example, prevent spamming and exposure of your personal information, and you can avoid unwanted contact attempts. 

In our opinion, making the small investment is worth it. As many website owners will agree, paying the small fee to protect your personal information will provide an added level of protection, and, maybe more important, peace of mind.

Benefits of having Domain Privacy Protection

These are some of the benefits of protecting your domain name information:

• Your personal information will be shielded
• You can control spam and avoid unwanted internet traffic
• You can make it harder for stalkers and fraudsters
• It prevents identity theft
• Other companies will not be able to find your information and resell it
• You can hide your website from competitors that are doing market research
• You have control over your personal information

Conclusion

Domain Name Privacy Protection provides an extra layer of security and gives you more control over the display of your personal data in WHOIS. Domain Name Privacy Protection plans are often priced relatively low or even free. It’s up to you to determine if you need it or not.