When you decide to register a domain name, you will be asked to give certain details, including your address, name, company name, email address and telephone number. This information is stored in the domain registration database, "Whois", and is publicly accessible; that is, if someone wants to know who owns any domain name and their contact information, they can easily find out using the database. This was not a problem when only a few researchers, who didn't mind sharing their contact details with one another, were using the internet; but now that the internet is used by millions of people worldwide, privacy issues and abuse of the database have become significant issues.

The entry of fraudulent details when registering Domain Names has become a serious problem. There are several reasons for people to give false information. They may be concerned about the Whois database being used to farm email addresses for targeted spam. They may also be less than enthusiastic about publishing their physical address, especially if they are registering a personal domain name or if their business is run from home. It is also a problem for websites with sensitive content: someone who runs a site which offers support for battered women might not wish to reveal their address. Still others may just feel that they should not have to publish personal details in a public database, as a matter of principle.

These all seem like reasonable concerns, but there are other individuals who give false information for less noble reasons. Clearly, if you and your website are engaged in an illegal activity of some sort, you will not be inclined to give away who and where you really are. Phishing sites are designed to mimic legitimate, secure websites such as login pages to banks and shopping sites, in order to gain access to private information and credit card details. Some individuals or companies will register hundreds of domain names, often choosing domains which are identical or very similar to well-known trademarks, and then "park" links to pornography or pay-per-click advertisements at the domain. Others use websites to sell fraudulent goods or to con people out of their money in other ways.

Mark Bohannon, general counsel for the Software & Information Industry Association, has argued that the vast number of fraudulent domain name registrations are by people involved in fraud and other abuses. However, civil liberties activists have frequently protested that having a space on the public forum of the World Wide Web should not require giving out personal details; there is no need to register with this kind of information to shout on a street corner, or even use most internet message boards. The problem is that at least a valid email address is required to receive notices of subscription renewal.

It is not illegal to provide false information, but ICANN, the Internet's regulatory body, requires identity verification at registration. However, the Fraudulent Online Identity Sanctions Act, put forward in 2004 as an amendment to the USA's Trademark Act of 1946, would impose more stringent fines and prison sentences on perpetrators of fraud and other abuses who were also guilty of providing false information on the Whois directory.

One option for someone wishing to register a domain name who is disinclined to give out their personal details is using a proxy service. There are many companies on the web who will register domain names on behalf of a client, forwarding any important emails regarding the administration of their domain name to the client. This may be a wise decision if you think that you need to keep your details private for any reason, but be careful about choosing a reliable and reputable proxy service: some will not make it entirely clear to whom the domain name actually belongs, and you do not want to find out at some point down the line that you don't actually have control of your domain name. Please note that some top-level domains, including .us, prohibit the use of proxies for their registration. Do some research beforehand to ensure you are not breaking any regulations.

By Natalie Catchpole