You do not need to post your contact details for your domain registration publicly for the more commonly known TLDs, including .COM/.NET/.ORG/.INFO. DreamHost offers a free privacy protection setting that hides the ownership details for the domain registration on public WHOIS searches. However, only certain TLDs offer this option. Some international TLDs require some information to be posted publicly, but that depends on that domain registry’s policy.

For domains that offer privacy protection, the WHOIS search displays DreamHost’s contact details along with a proxy email address tied to your ownership email address so that it remains hidden, but can still receive messages sent to you regarding the domain name.

View the following article for a list of domains that do not support privacy at DreamHost:

• Domain registration privacy

The domain registration is registered under the name you set for the owner on the purchase form. It’s not owned under DreamHost.

If you enable privacy protection, the public WHOIS hides your personal ownership details from whomever looks up your domain registration through a WHOIS search. DreamHost’s details appear on the privacy protection search page, but your internal contact and ownership info are listed with the registrar for the owner of that domain name.

Only nonpayment prevents you from having complete control of your domain. Should your account become suspended for a delinquent balance due, DreamHost retains control of the domain – including the right to transfer, sell, or modify it -- until your balance is paid and the account re-enabled. Virtually all registrars operate this way. (DreamHost is an ICANN-accredited registrar.)

A list can be found here:

• Domain registration privacy

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