A simple process to add privacy to your whois records while retaining full control.
If you don’t like your personal contact information being exposed in whois records, you don’t need to pay a lot of money to a whois privacy or whois proxy service to protect your identity. You can do it yourself. Here’s how.
1. Get a post office box. You can get a box at either the U.S. postal service or places like UPS Store. I’m sure there are equivalents in whatever country you live in. This will allow you to replace your home address with a postal address.
2. Sign up with Google Voice. A Google Voice number can replace your personal phone number in whois, and you’ll even receive an email with a transcript of any voice messages should you receive them. You can also forward the Google Voice number to your existing phone number.
3. Create an email account. You can either create a mail account on one of your existing hosting accounts that is designed only to catch whois spam or sign up for a free email account. The only major free email service I recommend is Gmail since if offers two factor authentication for logins.
Optional:
Create a limited liability company. If you don’t want people to see your name, you can set up a limited liability company and replace your name with the company name. This is pretty easy and typically costs a few hundred dollars depending on the state you file it in.
Most states offer online search access so people can find out who’s behind an LLC. If you use your domain name for something that must remain private — perhaps a political site or something else — you can use a contact agent to file LLC papers for you and then you’ll remain off the public record.
Or you could just pay someone less money to do all the work for you?
Why an LLC vs an S-Corp?
do you even need an LLC . why not just a simple DBA ?
Or you can get Privacy Service
for FREE at DomainsNext.com even for one domain name you register which is the easiest way I think.(Sorry selfserving)
One concern with this approach is that it does not protect the privacy of the domain name portfolio. Domain names using the same PO Box and phone number can be linked to the same owner. While this is not an issue for most, it may be a concern for those seeking complete anonymity.
If one has a concern regarding ownership and control when using privacy protection services then this approach does offer a partial solution. One may need to get multiple addresses and phone numbers, however, if isolation of certain domain names is desired.
There’s a difference between a Privacy WHOIS “Service” and a method to maximize the anonymity of one’s domains. Unless you can offer it to others, it’s not a service as the title suggests 😉
Mansur marquee text is sooo 1999….
@theo I am glade someone finally got your attention.
I believe Fabulous offers free whois privacy.
(Disclaimer – No connection with Fab.)
The post title is a bit misleading 🙂
Google Voice isn’t available globally – last time I checked it was only available in the US.
Should you want to go to the trouble – would say Skype over google voice – that has global reach for numbers that redirect to your Skype account. However as someone else has previously said – cheaper to use an existing service.
Also, owning a company exposes the site owner to corporate record search which would again show who the owner is.