Pirate Bay Founder Launches Anonymous Domain Registration Service
Remember when they launched heml.is messenger? They took advantage of the Snowden leaks trying to launch an app that supposedly would be so private. The same month where Snowden leaked the docs, they had an idea of creating an app, so they registered their website heml.is and got lot of backers. The app also meant to be centralized running from their own server. Two years after, they cancelled the project. Supposedly their wallet was also stolen.
… Then disaster struck when around $30,000 disappeared after a bitcoin wallet was stolen from Hemlis bitcoin supplier…
It also never open sourced but supposedly planned to do so:
Well release the usable parts of the code as free software with the most free license we can. It belongs to the community , Sunde says, adding that there may be other ways to achieve similar aims.
He then went on to say that we don’t need those kinds of private messengers and said other stuff:
Im personally trying to influence people and politicians to make sure we dont need systems like Heml.is. We should be protected by the governments instead of trying to protect ourselves from them. Its a multi-angle attack needed, technology, political work and transparency, Sunde concludes.
So it seems a good business these days offering privacy/anonymity services…
Edit: wording…
Adblock Plus publisher Eyeo GmbH announced that it had acquired Flattr for an undisclosed amount.
Best Cheap Anonymous Web Hosting
Not only have we determined Hostinger to be the top choice for anonymous web hosting, but weve also found it to give privacy-seeking site owners the best bang for their buck. With shared hosting plans starting at just $1.99 per month, Hostinger drives a competitive bargain along with its privacy protection.
But its not just the low price that puts Hostinger at the top of this category. The hosts packages are both budget-friendly and come with an array of tools and features to satisfy virtually any business hosting need.
The shared hosting plan options also give site owners access to an intuitive website builder and an effective control panel for comprehensive account management. Check out our full take on this package in the review below.
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Using A Domain Marketplace To Buy A Domain Anonymously
You can buy a domain name anonymously through a specialized marketplace or domain registrar, especially when shopping for lower-cost domains or domains that arent already taken.
There are many domain marketplaces you can use such as Dan.com, Flippa, and Sedo and they function like any other online marketplace. Users list their domain names for sale and other users can bid for them.
The negotiations are exclusively between the seller and prospective buyers, with no third parties involved and you arent obliged to share any extraneous personal information.
If you purchase a domain from a registrar like GoDaddy or NameCheap your personal information can be kept private and doesnt play a role in the price you pay for your domain. After your purchase you can also add privacy protection so that your name and information can not be found with a WhoIs lookup.
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Faq: What Is Domain Privacy
Determining the best anonymous hosting provider is only half the battle. Once youve found a host youre ready to commit to, you still need to keep your personal information off the grid by registering a domain anonymously.
Domain privacy is the process of hiding your personal information such as your name, address, and email from public domain name records. Domain privacy services are usually offered by domain registrars and can be purchased for an additional annual fee.
Purchase A Domain Name Using Domaincom Anonymously
One of the most well-known domain name registrars is Domain.com. Since it offers more than 300 website name extensions, finding a domain for your website should be simple.
You have access to a variety of domain management options with Domain.com. For instance, you can receive email accounts, DNS administration, quick transfers, and bulk registration.
Visit the Domain.com website and type a name into the search bar before you may purchase a domain name in secret. Simply click the Searchbutton after that.
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Faq: What Is An Offshore Host
An offshore host is a web hosting provider thats based outside of the country of its customers. For example, if youre located in the US but use an offshore host in the Netherlands, your data will fall under the jurisdiction of Dutch law.
This is important because some countries have stricter data privacy laws than others. So, by using an offshore host, you can ensure your data is better protected.
How Can You Eliminate Most Of These Things
The simplest and best way to eliminate many of these things being used to identify you is this:
Don’t register a domain or pay for hosting at all.
Instead, register with a free blogging platform such as or WordPress.com, who give you a subdomain when you sign up . Many human rights bloggers and campaigners choose this option because the main thing they have to worry about then is protecting their email and IP address.
You can protect your IP address to a degree using a VPN such as HideMyAss whenever connecting to the Internet, or by using the Tor network. You should turn the VPN or Tor connection on before registering for any services and while using them.
A search for ‘anonymous email’ will provide you with an address you can use to sign up to services anonymously.
Be aware that some free blog providers will delete blogs that might be deemed offensive. Read their terms and conditions before signing up and take backups of your content if it’s important to you.
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How Might Your Identity Be Discovered
To understand how to set up a website anonymously, you must first appreciate that your identity might be obtained via:
- The WHOIS record for any domains you register.
- Your IP address .
- Your service providers’ account records .
- Your email address.
- Your credit card details or other payment method.
- Your Google Analytics account information .
Faq: What Are The Risks Of Not Being Anonymous
There are a number of risks associated with not being anonymous online. For one, if your personal information is readily available, you could become a victim of identity theft. Additionally, if youre a journalist or political activist, not being anonymous could put you in danger.
There have even been cases of employers firing workers based on information they found about them online. So, if youre worried about any of these risks, being anonymous online is definitely the way to go.
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Why Buy A Domain Name Anonymously
In addition to protecting your privacy, anonymous domain registration offers a number of advantages and is not just for hackers or those looking to scam the public. Buying a domain name anonymously prevents spammers from getting your personal information. It stops the litany of online service providers like SEO companies, email providers, and advertisers from contacting you trying to sell services.
There is an old internet business scam where competing domain name registrars send emails and postal mail to website owners trying to convince them that their website needs to be renewed. Sometimes the registrar is simply a competitor trying to gain the website renewal business, other times they are a scammer looking to take control of the website and lock it up away from its owner. Buying a domain name anonymously prevents this from happening.
Purchase Your Domain Name
Once youve selected your desired settings, click on the Check out button at the bottom of the page, make the payment, and you would officially own the domain name youve selected, andfor the period that youve paid for.
And if you click on the side bar menu and select My domains within Google domains, you should see your registered domain under the My domains table.
Thats it for the domain name for now. Easy peasy
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Use A Private Web Browser And Vpn
If you want to remain completely anonymous, even from the domain name registrar, then you will have to buy your domain name anonymously while using a private web browser like Tor or Brave while connected to a virtual private network, or VPN.
For example, if you go to your local coffee shop to set up your website and are using a public WiFi connection there you are completely traceable. Security cameras inside or outside of the coffee shop can identity you using facial recognition. Your activity online is easily accessible and most likely tracked for marketing purposes by the network owner.
By the way, if you are using the public WiFi connection in a coffee shop to do anything online, then read my post on why you shouldnt do that. Even it is only to check use a messaging app like Snapchat or post on social media, you are putting your personal information and money at risk.
Using a VPN to route your internet traffic outside the coffee shop and possibly get an IP address outside of the country is the best way to make your purchase private. You will also need to use a private web browser before you connect to the internet to block tracking cookies from the domain name registrar.
Improve your skills, better your prospects, and make more money!
How To Buy A Cheap Domain
When youre just starting out as a business and want to keep the costs down, a cheap domain looks attractive. Luckily, there are often promotions to take advantage of, so its a good idea to keep your eyes peeled and get a discount on your favorite unique domain. Here at Namecheap, we even offer domain names for just $0.99.
Just like sales in real life, deals appear throughout the year at specific times where you snag a great domain price, such as Hosting Black Friday, or when a new TLD is launched. For example, our current deals page regularly changes and often includes domains that you can buy cheap for a limited time.
You can read also our article How Much Does A Domain Name Cost?.
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Private Domain Registration Faqs
If you arent familiar with registering domain names, the process can be confusing. There are many registrars to choose from, there are seemingly infinite domain extension options, and prices can vary wildly. However, one of the more common causes of concern is that you may be publishing your personal information on the web without even realizing it.
The good news is that private domain registration replaces your personal information with generic placeholders through a web host or registrar. You can usually opt for private registration when purchasing a domain, though privacy can also be added to your existing domains.
This article should help you answer 13 frequently asked questions about private domain registration. Lets dig in!
How To Buy A Domain Name
Whether youre growing a business or embarking on a personal project that you want to take to the masses, the next, obvious step is to get online. If youre wondering how to register a domain name properly, we can help you get started. Our blog post includes many useful tips, neatly wrapped up in a step-by-step guide.
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Definition Of Anonymous Whois
First of all you need to know the meaning of the term whois (” who “, “ is “, in English ” who is ? The term “domain name” refers to any public database or directory containing the contact information of domain name owners.
By default, the Whois is available to anyone. Internet users can misuse or abuse the contact information provided for your domain.
The Anonymity option is a “paying” alternative for those who do not want their contact information to be displayed in the Whois information of their domain name. This protects the person or company from being sent spam and from being sent false emails or other abuse.
Using Bluehost Buy A Domain Name Secretly
One of the biggest hosting providers in the world and a partner of WordPress is Bluehost. You can register a domain for no cost when you subscribe to their hosting service.
During the signup process, Bluehost allows you to add the Domain Privacy Protection extra to your bundle. Your private information will be replaced in the WHOIS database with generic Bluehost contact information, preventing public access to it.
Visit the Bluehost website and select the Get Started Now button to begin.
The next step is to choose a pricing strategy.
Any plan you want to employ requires you to merely click the Select button.
Bluehost will next prompt you to register a domain. Either a new domain can be made or an existing domain can be connected.
Simply type a name in theCreate a new domainarea and click the Next button because we are purchasing a new domain. The domain extension you want to utilize is another option.
The domain name you entered will now be checked by Bluehost for availability. You will then see the account information and payment page if it is.
Your personal information can then be added in order to create an account. To pick the Domain Privacy + Protection extension, simply scroll down to thePackage Extras section from here.
At Bluehost, the Domain Privacy + Protection service costs $11.88 annually. You can proceed to enter your payment information to buy website hosting and a domain name anonymously after choosing that option.
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How To Anonymously Register A Domain Name
If a great idea has popped into your head, or you just dont want to share your contact information, there is a way to anonymously register a domain name.
At Namecheap, we offer a privacy protection service in the form of domain privacy, and its completely free with all newly registered and transferred domains. With this service, your personal information is completely hidden, and you will remain anonymous.
And, as your information is hidden, you will stay protected from frustrating telemarketers or even worse or fraudsters.
How To Know If A Domain Is Available To Buy
So, youve decided youre ready to take your project online and youve picked the name of your dreams the final step is to acquire it.
As we have already found out, you cant register an existing name, it must be unique. You can find out whether its available by visiting our domain name search page. Once youve typed in chosen words, you can see all the unregistered domains related to your search.
Once youve completed the purchase and registered it, youll have your very own uniform resource locator a web address of ones own!
If the domain of your dreams is taken, a large cross will indicate that its unavailable. However all is not lost, you may be able to make an offer on it and if negotiations go well, it could be yours.
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How Do I Enable Domain Name Privacy For My Website
Enabling domain name privacy is usually not something done on your website, per se. Your domain registration information is made available in the WHOIS directory, which is run by ICANN and tracks domain ownership across the web.
To enable domain name privacy, you will need to go through your hosting service or registrar. This option is usually presented during the purchase of the domain, but it can often be added after the fact.
The process will differ depending on the company you use, but it is usually as simple as checking a box or paying for the private registration add-on.
If you are having difficulty finding this option from your hosting dashboard or registrars website, you can always contact them to see if they offer this service. If they do not, you may be able to use another companys privacy service, though this could require transferring your domain to that company.
Private Domain Registration For All
Dont let someone else register your domain first. Search DreamHosts 400+ TLDs to find the perfect fit for your website.
About the Author: Stefanus Hadi, Ph.D.
Stefanus Hadi, Ph.D., is Product Research Manager at DreamHost. He is responsible for directing and managing the companys partnerships with various domain registries, including those that control TLDs like .com, .online, .shop, .xyz, .club, .art, .io, .co, .me, and many others. In his free time, Stefanus enjoys outdoor activities, visits national parks regularly, and serves as a member of a Los Angeles high school support group. Connect with Stefanus on LinkedIn:
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Which Tlds Are Eligible For Private Domain Registration
Private domain registration is applicable to selected TLDs like .in, .me, .tv, .net, .name, .org, .com, .biz, .info, .academy, .accountant, .amsterdam, .attorney, .boutique, .brussels, .club, .consulting, .domains, .email, .fashion, .football, .hosting, .immobilien, .london, .miami, .ninja, .photography, .pub, .restaurant, .site, .srl, .tienda, .tips, .university, .viajes, .voyage, .website, .wedding, .wiki, .world, .xyz. For full list please refer to the Help Center.
Can You Buy A Domain Anonymously With Bitcoin
You can buy domain names with Bitcoin. These transactions are usually anonymous. However, to buy a Domain very anonymously heres some extra precautions you can take:
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