Every time a domain is registered, the owner’s details (name, address, phone number, etc.), as well as those of the technical and administrative contacts, are provided to the chosen Registrar.
The Registrar is responsible for forwarding these details to the registry – a system that gathers and displays all available business service metadata of an organisation – according to regulations outlined by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). ICANN ensures the validity and integrity of these details and maintains them in dedicated databases known as Whois.
Why it’s relevant
Whois databases function as archives that are constantly maintained and updated, accessible for free via specific search engines.
Aruba Domains offers users the option to opt out of sharing this metadata through domain ID protection. This protection relies on end-to-end encryption, preventing anyone from viewing sensitive information.
The system is somewhat analogous to old phone books: when a new phone number was registered, the user could choose to appear in the phone book or remain anonymous.
Despite this privacy measure, the system allows users to display a business email address while providing a spam filter for commercial contacts, thereby maximising privacy protection. This means anyone querying a protected domain won’t have access to personal and contact information.
How it works
In practical terms, anyone attempting to contact the email address linked to a protected domain will receive an automated email prompting them to visit the registrant’s website.
This feature is not available for country code TLDs, or for .fm, .org.uk, .srl and .gov.it TLDs.
If activated, the option runs parallel to the lifecycle of the domain and is renewed in conjunction with the domain.
Yay or nay
So, should you opt in or opt out? The choice is yours, but generally speaking, it is advisable to opt in for domain ID protection. This ensures that your personal details benefit from a high level of protection.
Additionally, it allows you to conceal information relevant to your web page from competitors who might conduct market research that you prefer to avoid. This protection also acts as a safeguard against your data being sold to third parties, scammers, and stalking attempts, and it significantly reduces spam in your inbox.
