Private Domain Registration: Complete Guide to Domain Privacy Protection

If you’re new to domain registration, you may have heard of ‘domain privacy’, or wondered ‘what is a private domain?’. Both terms are related to safeguarding personal information during the domain registration process. When registering a domain, registrants must provide contact details, including their name, email address, phone number, and mailing address. 

You may wonder where this personal information ends up. All this personal information is collected by ICANN (an organization that regulates and manages domain databases), which is then publicly displayed in a directory known as the WHOIS database. This can be a huge concern to many domain owners who don’t want any of their contact information visible in public. 

So how can domain owners hide their personal contact information? Simple, consider registering a private domain! In this article, we’ll be going over private domains. Specifically, what is a private domain, and what are the benefits of private domain registration. 

 

What is Private Domain Registration and How Does It Work?

The public WHOIS database makes it possible and convenient for anyone to search up domain owners’ contact information. Unfortunately, this has become a tool for spammers and scammers to create their contact lists. According to recent cybersecurity data, over 50% of all email spam originates from harvested WHOIS data, and 89% of organizations experienced spear-phishing attacks in 2021, many of which utilized publicly available domain registration information.

If you’re sitting there and wondering “what is a private domain?”, it is a premium service that protects registrants’ personal information from being out in the open in the WHOIS public database. Domain privacy’s main purpose is to prevent registrants from unnecessary scammers, marketers, and any future inconveniences that public domains may encounter. 

 

Benefits of Private Domain Registration: Why Every Domain Owner Needs Protection

 

Guaranteed Benefits

These protections are consistently provided when you enable domain privacy:

Hides Personal Information: Your contact details are replaced with your registrar's information, keeping your name, address, phone number, and email secure. This is a fundamental feature of domain privacy services.

Blocks Direct Spam: Hidden contact information prevents your details from being automatically added to marketing lists. Instead of receiving spam directly, legitimate messages are filtered through your registrar.

 

Probabilistic Benefits

These advantages are likely but not guaranteed, as they depend on attacker sophistication and other factors:

Reduces Phishing Attempts: While privacy protection makes it harder for attackers to craft targeted phishing emails, determined attackers may still find ways to contact you.

According to Catsby’s study mentioned above, the 150% surge in phishing attacks since 2019 shows why every layer of protection matters.

Deters Predatory Activities: Domain privacy makes it more difficult for bad actors to identify targets, though sophisticated threat actors can sometimes circumvent these protections.

Prevents Data Mining: While privacy services stop basic scraping operations, advanced data mining techniques may still correlate information from other sources.

Protects Against Doxxing and Harassment: According to the National Network to End Domestic Violence, 1 in 6 women and 1 in 19 men have experienced stalking, with technology increasingly used as a tool for harassment. Domain privacy adds an important layer of protection.

 

Real-World Case Studies: When Privacy Matters

 

Case Study 1: The $100 Million Google and Facebook Scam

In one of the most notorious domain-related fraud cases, a Lithuanian fraudster successfully spoofed emails using Whois data to impersonate a legitimate vendor. By leveraging publicly available domain registration information, the attacker defrauded Google and Facebook of approximately $100 million between 2013-2015.

Key Lesson: Corporate domain privacy isn't just about avoiding spam—it's about preventing sophisticated financial fraud.

 

Case Study 2: Hypixel Network Domain Hijacking

In May 2022, Hypixel Network, a Minecraft server with over 10 million active users, lost control of their domain to attackers. The hijackers immediately used it to spread fake announcements and scam users. The attack began with social engineering that targeted the domain administrator using information gathered from multiple sources, including domain registration data.

Key Lesson: Domain security requires multiple layers of protection, including privacy, strong authentication, and registrar lock features.

 

 Private Domain Registration Cost: Should You Pay Extra?

In short, no you shouldn’t pay for a private domain. Domain privacy should be a service that is available for registrants but not for an extra fee. Depending on the registrar, some do charge that additional fee for domain privacy, fortunately, Dynadot already has it included for free. 

With Dynadot, you can control your privacy settings and even replace your displayed information with Dynadot’s contact info. Instead of dealing with extensive spam notifications, we can filter them out and forward legitimate messages to you. You can learn more on our domain privacy page.

Note: Not all TLDs allow domain privacy, you can look at the restricted list here.

 

 Private Registration Domain vs Public Domain Registration

When deciding between private vs public domain registration, consider these key differences:

Private Domain Name Registration:

• Protects personal information from WHOIS lookups 

• Reduces spam and unwanted contact

• Maintains compliance with registration requirements

Public Domain Registration:

• Displays all personal contact information

• Required for certain business or legal purposes

• No additional privacy protection

 

How to Check if Your Domain Has Private Registration

If you’re not quite sure if your domain is private, you can look up your domain with our WHOIS lookup search. Simply search for your domain name and if your contact information is replaced with the information provided by your registrar, you have domain privacy activated.

Alternatively, you can review your domain privacy settings from your account control panel under your Dynadot account.

 

Which TLDs Don't Allow Domain Privacy?

Not all domain extensions support privacy protection. Understanding these restrictions is crucial when choosing your domain. You can always check which TLDs don’t support privacy here.

 

Common TLDs That Prohibit or Limit Privacy

Country Code TLDs (ccTLDs) with Restrictions:

North America:

• .US
• .CA

Europe:

• .DE
• .FR
• .IT
• .EU

Asia & Pacific:

• .IN

 

Frequently Asked Questions About Private Domain Registration

 

What is the difference between a private domain and a public domain?

A private domain has its registration information protected and hidden from public WHOIS lookup searches, while a public domain displays the registrant's personal contact information openly in the WHOIS database. Every domain is public by default unless private domain registration is enabled.

 

Do I need private domain registration for every domain I own?

While not legally required, private domain registration is highly recommended for every domain to protect your personal information from spammers, scammers, and unwanted marketing contacts. The benefits of private domain registration far outweigh any potential drawbacks.

 

Can I check if a domain has private registration enabled?

Yes, you can use a WHOIS lookup tool to check any domain's registration status. If the domain shows registrar contact information instead of personal details, private domain registration is active. If personal information is visible, it's a public domain registration.

 

Is private domain registration available for all domain extensions?

No, not every domain extension supports private registration. Some country-code top-level domains (ccTLDs) and certain specialty domains don't allow private registration. Check with your registrar to see which domains support privacy protection.