What is domain privacy or proxy registration?¶
Privacy and proxy services place an intermediary between the public registration record and the underlying customer. The public-facing name may therefore not be the website operator.
With a privacy service, the underlying registrant may remain recorded with the provider while alternative contact details appear publicly. With a proxy arrangement, the service may appear as the registered holder and act on behalf of the customer.
Terminology varies between providers, but the investigative issue is the same.
Why these services are used¶
Legitimate users may use them to reduce:
- spam;
- harassment;
- unwanted disclosure of personal details; or
- direct contact with the registrant.
Their presence is not automatically suspicious.
What the intermediary may hold¶
Potential records may include:
- customer-account details;
- payment information;
- contact or verification material;
- service communications;
- activation dates; and
- relay or contact records.
The privacy provider may have no role in hosting, content, administration or payments.
Key takeaway
Treat the privacy or proxy service as a possible data holder, not as proof of who operated the website. Establish the underlying customer and then link that customer to the relevant activity.