6 ms·

Could this be worked around by using a pseudonym, registering a PO Box address, and using the number from a pay-as-you-go SIM card? Not false information as suc

Could this be worked around by using a pseudonym, registering a PO Box address, and using the number from a pay-as-you-go SIM card? Not false information as such, but not particularly revealing either. Alternatively, one could enter information that looks plausibly valid but is in fact completely invented. How often does one receive articles in the mail or phone calls to the whois contact points anyway? As far as I've experienced, any communication is to the email address. I suppose it depends what the penalties are if you're somehow found out.

deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
raquo 11y ago
> Could this be worked around by using a pseudonym, registering a PO Box address, and using the number from a pay-as-you-go SIM card? Not false information as such, but not particularly revealing either. No. They will require PO box providers to be accredited with ICANN and subject to all these crazy rules, giving you no privacy. > Alternatively, one could enter information that looks plausibly valid but is in fact completely invented. This is exactly what all the real crooks will do, but you and me will not be able to, because we don't want to lose our domains.
- techsupporter 11y ago
  > No. They will require PO box providers to be accredited with ICANN and subject to all these crazy rules, giving you no privacy. Well, I'd be very interested to see how ICANN could get post offices, like the United States Postal Service or Royal Mail, to go along with submitting to ICANN accreditation. That aside, data on people who own USPS-provided post office boxes and boxes held at commercial mail receiving agencies (CMRAs, like the UPS Store, and so on) can be obtained from the USPS, per 39 CFR 265.6(d)(5)(i) through (iii): (i) To a federal, state or local government agency upon prior written certification that the information is required for the performance of its duties. (ii) To a person empowered by law to serve legal process, or the attorney for a party in whose behalf service will be made, or a party who is acting pro se, upon receipt of written information that specifically includes all of the following: (a bunch of things) (iii) In compliance with a subpoena or court order, except that change of address or boxholder information which is not otherwise subject to disclosure under these regulations may be disclosed only pursuant to a court order. https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/39/265.6 https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/39/265.6
  - raquo 11y ago
    Well USPS being unaccredited will obviously be the domain "owner"s' problem, not ICANN's.
- talideon 11y ago
  > No. They will require PO box providers to be accredited with ICANN and subject to all these crazy rules, giving you no privacy. What makes you think that? ICANN's requirement is that you provide a valid address you are contactable at. A PO box fulfils that requirement.
- mrhhug 11y ago
  I agree with you. Because using completely invented information makes me a liar. And why do they need it? Its not like they are sending packets to that address. We should stop every invasion of freedom no matter how well it is sold. ICANN is only the authority because we all said they are the authority. Do you know the fight that would break out if we lost faith in ICANN and multiple firms in the right economic place who know the right people at the right time provided an alternative authority? The switch to ipv6 is already weakening ICANN authority. The value of an ip address is decreasing. We have to trust someone. End users are not gonna type in ip addresses human brains just aren't wired like that. But talking with any government is not cool. ICANN is a trust all citizens of earth currently agree on. ICANN is the global diplomat they need diplomatic immunity - and need not abuse it.
- hobs 11y ago
  I dont like to be taken as threatening, but it feels like the rulers up in ICANN who are making these decisions need to understand the impact of said decisions and as they are not avoiding dangerous people or situations, they simply dont care. Are all of their domain names registered properly? Shall we start sending them A LOT of mail explaining these consequences?
bigiain 11y ago
Legalities aside - that'd work fine, until you needed some assurance of long term ownership of a domain. It wouldn't be prudent to build a business/brand/reputation on a domain name where you've intentionally registered it to a false identity. To me, the penalties are only one of the concerns - how you'd deal with someone attempting to hijack your domain when you've faked the ownership records is a problem too.
batou 11y ago
Doesn't work in the UK. We have to provide Nominet with documents for some domains. We can opt out of publishing them on the whois but the killer is that someone can contact Nominet and just pretty much ask for the data instead. Incidentally this is why I use .eu
WalterGR 11y ago
a PO Box address Last time I checked, which was probably a couple years ago, you couldn't use a PO Box address. In the U.S., some/all post offices have added the option of real "street addressing." Before, you'd have to use PO Box 123, City, State. But with street addressing, now you can use - say - 45 Main St #123, City, State. Non-USPS places have had this sort of thing for a while. Some will even "let" you call it "Suite 123" - despite it being a small metal box with not much room for furniture. (I think the "letting" part is more them just not caring, and only looking at the numbers. It's not impossible but I'd be surprised if there were actual laws covering that. Though it could be a factor if something like fraud were being committed. IANAL.)
- Pyxl101 11y ago
  I was able to renew a domain recently specifying a PO Box address.
  - WalterGR 11y ago
    Googling, it seems like there has been some confusion in the past about what constitutes a "physical address" for the purposes of domain registration, but I don't see anything that suggests that PO boxes aren't allowed.
jlgaddis 11y ago
All of my domains (that don't use WhoisGuard or similar) have my PO Box as the address. My PO Box is under my business' name but I had to provide identification and my personal information when I first got it.

deleted 11y ago

[deleted]

raquo 11y ago

> Could this be worked around by using a pseudonym, registering a PO Box address, and using the number from a pay-as-you-go SIM card? Not false information as such, but not particularly revealing either. No. They will require PO box providers to be accredited with ICANN and subject to all these crazy rules, giving you no privacy. > Alternatively, one could enter information that looks plausibly valid but is in fact completely invented. This is exactly what all the real crooks will do, but you and me will not be able to, because we don't want to lose our domains.

techsupporter 11y ago
> No. They will require PO box providers to be accredited with ICANN and subject to all these crazy rules, giving you no privacy. Well, I'd be very interested to see how ICANN could get post offices, like the United States Postal Service or Royal Mail, to go along with submitting to ICANN accreditation. That aside, data on people who own USPS-provided post office boxes and boxes held at commercial mail receiving agencies (CMRAs, like the UPS Store, and so on) can be obtained from the USPS, per 39 CFR 265.6(d)(5)(i) through (iii): (i) To a federal, state or local government agency upon prior written certification that the information is required for the performance of its duties. (ii) To a person empowered by law to serve legal process, or the attorney for a party in whose behalf service will be made, or a party who is acting pro se, upon receipt of written information that specifically includes all of the following: (a bunch of things) (iii) In compliance with a subpoena or court order, except that change of address or boxholder information which is not otherwise subject to disclosure under these regulations may be disclosed only pursuant to a court order. https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/39/265.6 https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/39/265.6
- raquo 11y ago
  Well USPS being unaccredited will obviously be the domain "owner"s' problem, not ICANN's.
talideon 11y ago
> No. They will require PO box providers to be accredited with ICANN and subject to all these crazy rules, giving you no privacy. What makes you think that? ICANN's requirement is that you provide a valid address you are contactable at. A PO box fulfils that requirement.
mrhhug 11y ago
I agree with you. Because using completely invented information makes me a liar. And why do they need it? Its not like they are sending packets to that address. We should stop every invasion of freedom no matter how well it is sold. ICANN is only the authority because we all said they are the authority. Do you know the fight that would break out if we lost faith in ICANN and multiple firms in the right economic place who know the right people at the right time provided an alternative authority? The switch to ipv6 is already weakening ICANN authority. The value of an ip address is decreasing. We have to trust someone. End users are not gonna type in ip addresses human brains just aren't wired like that. But talking with any government is not cool. ICANN is a trust all citizens of earth currently agree on. ICANN is the global diplomat they need diplomatic immunity - and need not abuse it.
hobs 11y ago
I dont like to be taken as threatening, but it feels like the rulers up in ICANN who are making these decisions need to understand the impact of said decisions and as they are not avoiding dangerous people or situations, they simply dont care. Are all of their domain names registered properly? Shall we start sending them A LOT of mail explaining these consequences?

bigiain 11y ago

Legalities aside - that'd work fine, until you needed some assurance of long term ownership of a domain. It wouldn't be prudent to build a business/brand/reputation on a domain name where you've intentionally registered it to a false identity. To me, the penalties are only one of the concerns - how you'd deal with someone attempting to hijack your domain when you've faked the ownership records is a problem too.

batou 11y ago

Doesn't work in the UK. We have to provide Nominet with documents for some domains. We can opt out of publishing them on the whois but the killer is that someone can contact Nominet and just pretty much ask for the data instead. Incidentally this is why I use .eu

WalterGR 11y ago

a PO Box address Last time I checked, which was probably a couple years ago, you couldn't use a PO Box address. In the U.S., some/all post offices have added the option of real "street addressing." Before, you'd have to use PO Box 123, City, State. But with street addressing, now you can use - say - 45 Main St #123, City, State. Non-USPS places have had this sort of thing for a while. Some will even "let" you call it "Suite 123" - despite it being a small metal box with not much room for furniture. (I think the "letting" part is more them just not caring, and only looking at the numbers. It's not impossible but I'd be surprised if there were actual laws covering that. Though it could be a factor if something like fraud were being committed. IANAL.)

Pyxl101 11y ago
I was able to renew a domain recently specifying a PO Box address.
- WalterGR 11y ago
  Googling, it seems like there has been some confusion in the past about what constitutes a "physical address" for the purposes of domain registration, but I don't see anything that suggests that PO boxes aren't allowed.

jlgaddis 11y ago

All of my domains (that don't use WhoisGuard or similar) have my PO Box as the address. My PO Box is under my business' name but I had to provide identification and my personal information when I first got it.