Before we delve into the benefits of WHOIS privacy, let us first discuss what a WHOIS database is.
When a domain name is registered, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) requires users to disclose personal information like full name, house address, email address, and mobile number. These are then published on the database called the WHOIS lookup, and is available publicly.
Obviously, this poses a problem because it means the information you have shared will also be available to marketers, spammers, phishers, doxxers, and hackers. We have all these apps and plugins we install on our website, and a simple WHOIS lookup may actually make our efforts to keep our website safe pretty much moot.
Fortunately, there are domain registration sites that offer a privacy control after purchasing your domain. What it does is simply keep the information from being publicly viewed. A lot of people may gloss over the privacy option, mostly because they would need to pay extra for it. But the expense is nothing if it can keep your information hidden from view.
Here are other reasons why you should use the WHOIS privacy option.
Avoid spammers
We are all annoyed with marketers, whether they are calling us on our phones or flooding our emails, being contacted by themis something we actively avoid. However, because of the public database we have opened ourselves a great deal and it is not long before we receive a flurry or spam messages. Additionally, we would also receive problematic messages like fake announcements and unsecure registration forms.
Keeping professional and personal accounts separate
Some website owners may want their online identity remain separate from their personal accounts. Maybe they are content writers who publish articles on controversial topics, or maybe their personal accounts show sentiments that are not aligned with the company they work for. Either way, using the WHOIS privacy option will ensure that both online identities remain separate.
Keeping identity thefts away
Of course, with sharing your information on a public database comes the risk of identity theft. They are not all stealing credit card information and making fraudulent transactions. Some of them would make accounts under your name, take control of your own website, and just generally create online chaos in your name. Especially now that we have become sensitive to fake personas and trolls, you definitely do not want this to happen to you.
Remember that WHOIS is supposed to be used for branding purposes and for checking whether your preferred domain is owned by another web master and is about to expire. Keep it that way and avoid anything devious happening to you by paying that extra fee and getting yourselves the WHOIS privacy option.