Personal Data Privacy Concerns for Web Owners and Users

As more individuals build their own Web sites, some privacy advocates now question requirements that the site owners disclose their personal contact information. Names, e-mail addresses, postal addresses and telephone numbers for more than 24 million domain names are stored in . . . As more individuals build their own Web sites, some privacy advocates now question requirements that the site owners disclose their personal contact information. Names, e-mail addresses, postal addresses and telephone numbers for more than 24 million domain names are stored in databases called Whois. The information is available to anyone with an Internet connection. It's like a global phone directory -- without the option for an unlisted number.

"Sacrificing your privacy should not be a condition of access to the domain space," said Alan Davidson, staff counsel with the Center for Democracy and Technology. Most people may not care and would list their contact information anyway, just like most telephone customers now list their numbers. But Davidson said Internet users ought to have a choice -- for instance, they may want to stay anonymous if they are human rights advocates and other dissidents fearful of repercussion from oppressive governments.

The link for this article located at DeseretNews is no longer available.