Does the hosting provider own or operate the website?¶
Usually not. A hosting provider supplies infrastructure or a managed service. That does not normally make it the owner of the customer’s website or the author of its content.
What the host may know¶
The provider may hold records about:
- the customer account;
- payment;
- assigned infrastructure;
- login and management activity;
- support requests; and
- configuration changes.
Those records can be valuable, but the account holder may not be the person who uploaded the relevant content.
Separate control from service provision¶
A business may have several administrators. A developer may maintain the site. A reseller may sit between the host and the end customer. An account may have been compromised.
Some platforms host content for very large numbers of users. The provider may operate the platform while customers control particular pages, files, shops or accounts.
Establish the chain of control¶
Ask who:
- obtained the hosting;
- administered it;
- published the material;
- received proceeds or communications; and
- is linked by devices, accounts and access records.
Key takeaway
The host supplies infrastructure. Ownership, administration, publication and responsibility are separate questions that require wider evidence.