3 ms·

Its mostly a problem if someone decides to target you for harassment (i.e. SWAT-ing). It is ridiculous to expect personal websites to reveal home addresses to t

Its mostly a problem if someone decides to target you for harassment (i.e. SWAT-ing). It is ridiculous to expect personal websites to reveal home addresses to the world. WHOIS is definitely another one of those technologies leftover from a more naive time in the internet's history.

Cthulhu_ 11y ago
That's just one example - your use of 'mostly' implies you don't actually know any other examples. I've got another case; I know someone who has a stalker that threatened to abduct her (and his biological) son. She's very cautious about her privacy online, and things like Facebook's mandatory real-name usage policy and now this are actively threatening her and her son's personal security. She can't properly run her business because she can't use her real name or address and has to go through a business address and - in this case - a registrar hiding her personal details to stay reasonably safe.
- belorn 11y ago
  Isn't that why government grants hidden identity or new identities? In Sweden, the .SE rules regarding WHOIS explicitly provides an exception for people with hidden identities. Everything regarding open government has to follow those same rules, incuding also car registration, phone registrations and home owner registration.
  - pjc50 11y ago
    This is very rare, though. The UK company registration system has an address exception for directors that was put in place for and used by one very specific company: Huntingdon Life Sciences. They are a medical research company that were targeted by activists with death threats, arson, and other acts of minor terrorism over a 15-year period.
mrhhug 11y ago
This is only effecting individuals. Massive companies are going to use the front office mail address. SWAT-ing is really one of the less serious things that could happen. Crazy nutjobs are born every day. Someone didn't like a banner on my website, now they know where to find me, and they brought tanks. Meaning that it could be the government you are peaceably criticizing.

Cthulhu_ 11y ago

That's just one example - your use of 'mostly' implies you don't actually know any other examples. I've got another case; I know someone who has a stalker that threatened to abduct her (and his biological) son. She's very cautious about her privacy online, and things like Facebook's mandatory real-name usage policy and now this are actively threatening her and her son's personal security. She can't properly run her business because she can't use her real name or address and has to go through a business address and - in this case - a registrar hiding her personal details to stay reasonably safe.

belorn 11y ago
Isn't that why government grants hidden identity or new identities? In Sweden, the .SE rules regarding WHOIS explicitly provides an exception for people with hidden identities. Everything regarding open government has to follow those same rules, incuding also car registration, phone registrations and home owner registration.
- pjc50 11y ago
  This is very rare, though. The UK company registration system has an address exception for directors that was put in place for and used by one very specific company: Huntingdon Life Sciences. They are a medical research company that were targeted by activists with death threats, arson, and other acts of minor terrorism over a 15-year period.

mrhhug 11y ago

This is only effecting individuals. Massive companies are going to use the front office mail address. SWAT-ing is really one of the less serious things that could happen. Crazy nutjobs are born every day. Someone didn't like a banner on my website, now they know where to find me, and they brought tanks. Meaning that it could be the government you are peaceably criticizing.