WHOIS: Protecting the Privacy of Domain Name Holders
WHOIS is a common Internet search tool used to look up the contact information of domain name holders (Registrants). A WHOIS search returns information such as name, address, phone and fax numbers, and email address. While WHOIS has been used since the inception of the Internet, concerns over privacy necessitated a re-evaluation of what information is publicly available in the dot-ca (.ca) WHOIS.
The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) provides guidelines for the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information by private organizations.
CIRA conducted a series of consultations with various stakeholders to develop a policy that protects the privacy of individual consumers while continuing to allow access to information pertaining to corporations, organizations, and institutions. The resulting policy and procedures provide a balanced approach that respects individual Registrant privacy while allowing for timely mechanisms for legitimate information requests. CIRA conducted a public consultation within a year at the launch of the policy, to review these rules and procedures.
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CIRA has provided processes to allow contact with domain holders for legitimate purposes under specific, limited circumstances, and compliance with specific pre-conditions, certain WHOIS contact information may be disclosed.
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Except as may be expressly specified in the Policy and the Rules and Procedures , please note that any other request for information of Registrants whose information is not publicly available through the WHOIS search tool must be by way of an order, ruling, decision, subpeona, warrant or judgment.
Find out how the new WHOIS policy affects you, please select a link below:
| Individual Domain Name Holders (Registrants) | Corporate (Non-individual) | Domain Name Holders (Registrants) Legal and Law Enforcement |
|---|---|---|
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Your private information is protected by default. Interested in changing your status to have your information displayed? View and change your status through the Registrant web interface. |
Corporate information is displayed by default. |
CIRA has developed new processes to address certain needs of the Legal and Law Enforcement communities. For information please visit Legal and Law Enforcement. |
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Interested in contacting a domain holder, but they are no longer listed? |
Interested in contacting a domain holder, but they are no longer listed? |
