What does domain privacy protection do? Why don't some domains have it?

Domain privacy protection, also known as WHOIS privacy, hides the personal or contact information of a domain registrant from the public WHOIS database. When you register a domain, your name, email address, phone number, and physical address are typically listed in the WHOIS database, which is accessible to anyone online. Privacy protection replaces this information with the details of a proxy service or the registrar, shielding your identity from spammers, scammers, and unwanted solicitations.

For example, if you register a domain like "mybusiness.com" without privacy protection, anyone can look up your name and contact details in the WHOIS database. With privacy protection enabled, only the registrar's proxy information is shown, keeping your personal data private.

Some domains do not have privacy protection for several reasons:

1. Cost: Privacy protection often comes at an additional fee, and some registrants may choose to save money by opting out.
2. Business Requirements: Companies or individuals who want to be easily contacted for business purposes may not use privacy protection, as it makes their contact information more accessible.
3. Legal or Compliance Reasons: In some cases, businesses or organizations may need to provide accurate and publicly accessible contact information for legal, regulatory, or contractual reasons.
4. Lack of Awareness: Some users may not be aware of the option to enable privacy protection or may not understand its benefits.

For those who want to protect their domain registration information, Tencent Cloud offers domain registration services that include WHOIS privacy protection as an optional feature. This helps safeguard your personal or business information while maintaining compliance with domain registration requirements.