Information for Privacy and Proxy Service Providers, Customers and Third-Party Requesters
Privacy and proxy service providers offer services that permit customers to register a domain name without publishing the customer's contact information in the Registration Data Directory Service (RDDS), also known as WHOIS.
A Privacy Service allows a customer to register a domain name as the registered domain name holder (meaning that the customer's name appears in the registrant name" field in WHOIS). Alternative, reliable contact information (such as a mail-forwarding email address) is published by the service provider in place of the customer's personal contact information.
A Proxy Service allows a customer to use a domain name without displaying any of the customer's information in WHOIS. The proxy service provider is the registrant of record (the registered domain name holder) and provides alternative, reliable contact information. This service is legally distinct from a privacy service because the proxy service provider is the registered domain name holder (which attaches certain legal rights and responsibilities for a domain). The proxy service provider licenses use of the domain name to the customer via its agreement with the customer.
2013 RAA
The 2013 RAA requires that privacy and proxy service providers that are affiliated with an ICANN-accredited registrar to:
- Disclose service terms (including pricing), on the provider's website and/or registrar's website and abide by such terms;
- Publish an abuse/infringement point of contact;
- Disclose the business contact information on the provider's website and/or registrar's website; and
- Publish and abide by terms of service and description of procedures on its website and/or registrar's website, such as handling of abuse or trademark infringement reports, communication handling, conditions of ending service, WHOIS data publication conditions, and access to support services.
If you have a complaint regarding any of these items, please submit a Privacy/Proxy Registration Complaint Form.
New ICANN Privacy and Proxy Service Provider Accreditation Program
ICANN is implementing a new accreditation program for privacy and proxy service providers pursuant to policy recommendations [PDF, 1.24 MB] developed through the ICANN multi-stakeholder policy development process. Once this program is fully implemented, ICANN-accredited registrars may not knowingly accept registrations involving a privacy and/or proxy service from an entity that is not accredited by the ICANN organization.
If you would like to submit an inquiry about the Privacy and Proxy Service Provider Accreditation Program, please contact the ICANN Global Support Center.
Quick Links
- List of ICANN-Accredited Privacy and Proxy Service Providers
- Privacy and Proxy Service Provider Customer Educational Information