Nonpublic domain records: a look back at 2023

On 28 November 2023, ICANN launched the Registration Data Request Service, or RDRS. The service gave people with a legitimate interest a standardized way to request nonpublic registration information from participating registrars. It concerned generic top-level domains, rather than every extension on the internet. ICANN’s launch announcement explains its scope.

Looking back at that launch, a useful lesson for domain buyers is that public visibility and record collection are separate questions. Information can be absent from a public lookup while still existing in the provider’s records.

Read a lookup for what it shows

A lookup result can help you identify registration details, but you shouldn’t treat a hidden field as a description of the signup process. The customer may have supplied information that the service doesn’t publish, or the registration may use a separate identity arrangement.

The ICANN lookup FAQ explains that the tool returns information from registration services and that some data may not appear publicly. It also describes RDAP, the protocol used to retrieve that information. The visibility of a record alone doesn’t establish the customer’s privacy agreement.

When comparing providers, read the terms for the extension you intend to buy. A general article about gTLD registration won’t answer every question about .RU or .SU.

Decide what you want to keep separate

For an independent publisher, the aim may be to keep a personal name and home address out of domain registration. A business with several brands may want each account to have its own dedicated registration identity. Those are concrete requirements you can describe before ordering.

At xUID, customers open an account with email and password, without personal identity documents or their own ESIA verification. Base uses a shared registration identity; Private Identity gives your account a dedicated one. Compare those arrangements before choosing a name.

Ask about service decisions too

Registration privacy is only part of running a site. If your publication expects complaints, ask who handles them and what the agreement includes. xUID’s optional Full Bulletproof Protection covers complaint handling with an exclusive identity and priority support, keeping the domain online within that agreement.

Keep the order details where the person managing renewals can find them. That record should identify the domain, the selected protection, and the account used to manage it. Anonymity at signup doesn’t stop you from having a clear internal record of your own purchases.

You can check .RU and .SU availability before deciding whether to keep both versions of the name in one account.