I usually pay my registrar/host for "domain privacy".
It seems like CloudFlare does whois redaction by default.
this post was submitted on 05 Jul 2025
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Privacy
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I originally registered the domain I'm now using for Lemmy for the company "The Empire". I was a kid and did it just for the lulz. Also I additionally used my real name.
Nothing ever happened.
It's possible to transfer a domain name from one DNS provider to another, similar to phone numbers. So stealing a domain name is as simple as initiating that transfer procedure. Many providers have a "lock" option (again, similar to phone numbers) to avoid these issues, but they still happen.
Of course you can challenge them legally, but you're likely to end up in a costly legal battle. And if you're a company who cares about their brand image, you're more likely to pay the ransom (which is probably less than the legal fees anyways) and get it back quickly.
So yeah, if you don't have legit info, you shouldn't rely on it too much.
If you're actually interested in a domain name while remaining anonymous, you'd want to get a subdomain instead. Try something like No-IP, which doesn't legally require all your personal info.
thanks a lot!
Namecheap let me register with just a Tuta email. Payment could maybe go through an online prepaid debit card. Never had a human check AFAIK.
"Just a tuta email" ... Tuta nota is a serious email provider.
"Just" as in nothing that demands a phone number to validate. Meaning that OP will be asked to enter a phone number when signing up and may not have to worry about it being the same one as their email account.
I am a EU citizen with a .eu domain which required real data, I have never given my phone number to validate and the email I gave is the one registered under that eu domain.
but they do ask for personal information. what did you fill in there?
Never had a human check AFAIK.
that's good to know!
They definitely do check. I don't know how detailed the checks are or how major a crime it is to use someone else's info, but there are enough checks in place, you can't just type in Porky Pig or made-up nonsense or anything.
that's what I am really interested in. How do they check this?
Third party anti-fraud database providers that have access to private databases with info on people. Things like public records, private records, data brokers, etc.
thanks a lot!