# How does domain tools work **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 16, 2015, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-domain-tools-work/725305 "2015-07-16T06:00:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AppleFanboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4af34b/32.png) [@AppleFanboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AppleFanboy)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-domain-tools-work/725305/1 "2015-07-16T06:00:24Z")
If you go on [domaintools.com](http://domaintools.com) you are able to do a whois look up, how is the website able to do that. Not only that ,but they also have screenshots for domains that go all the way back to 8 or 9 years ago. Also, why don’t they ever report domains that have illegal content, such as a website that sold fake counterfeits of designer handbags to authorities. It is shut down now already but having looked, the website ran for five years and they had screenshots of it. ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-domain-tools-work/725305/2 "2015-07-16T14:20:55Z")
They wouldn’t have resources to examine the content of every site on the Web. ---
**Author:** ![lalaith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@lalaith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lalaith)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-domain-tools-work/725305/3 "2015-07-16T14:49:29Z")
> [@AppleFanboy](#): > > If you go on [domaintools.com](http://domaintools.com) you are able to do a whois look up, how is the website able to do that. All the Whois information is public record. It’s why proxy services are so popular. Because a corporation or a brick&mortar have an address, phone number, email etc that are not their personal information that goes to [ICANN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICANN) so their business contact info is what you see on Whois. While people like me, individuals who have a website, don’t have a separate address etc from my personal one and don’t really want my phone number where anyone can see it. (Now, for my blog, I use a registrar that keeps my name on my site but not my contact information. I also have my email on the site itself and have an option for people who want to email me.) The way proxies work is you give your contact information to the company you’re registering the domain with. But (at an additional charge), they put their contact information with ICANN, but if someone emails that proxy address it can be forwarded to you. (Depends on the company and how you’ve got it set-up.) Incidentally, if you have a domain, you are required by law to keep your contact information up to date. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-domain-tools-work/725305/4 "2015-07-16T15:43:16Z")
> [@lalaith](#): > > All the Whois information is public record. It’s why proxy services are so popular. Because a corporation or a brick&mortar have an address, phone number, email etc that are not their personal information that goes to [ICANN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICANN) so their business contact info is what you see on Whois. While people like me, individuals who have a website, don’t have a separate address etc from my personal one and don’t really want my phone number where anyone can see it. (Now, for my blog, I use a registrar that keeps my name on my site but not my contact information. I also have my email on the site itself and have an option for people who want to email me.) > > The way proxies work is you give your contact information to the company you’re registering the domain with. But (at an additional charge), they put their contact information with ICANN, but if someone emails that proxy address it can be forwarded to you. (Depends on the company and how you’ve got it set-up.) > > Incidentally, if you have a domain, you are required by law to keep your contact information up to date. My registrar recently sent out an alert that their “whoisguard” service is “under attack”: [https://www.respectourprivacy.com/](https://www.respectourprivacy.com/) ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-domain-tools-work/725305/5 "2015-07-16T16:00:57Z")
> [@lalaith](#): > > Incidentally, if you have a domain, you are required by law to keep your contact information up to date. Not by law, at least there is no statute that says I must keep my information up to date. My agreement with GoDaddy says I agree to do this, so I am subject to civil contract law, but that is different than a blanket statement about what is required by law. ---
**Author:** ![lalaith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@lalaith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lalaith)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-domain-tools-work/725305/6 "2015-07-16T16:37:59Z")
> [@yabob](#): > > My registrar recently sent out an alert that their “whoisguard” service is “under attack”: > > [https://www.respectourprivacy.com/](https://www.respectourprivacy.com/) I got a message about that too. ---
**Author:** ![lalaith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@lalaith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lalaith)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-domain-tools-work/725305/7 "2015-07-16T16:41:29Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > Not by law, at least there is no statute that says I must keep my information up to date. My agreement with GoDaddy says I agree to do this, so I am subject to civil contract law, but that is different than a blanket statement about what is required by law. The email I get from my registrar say it’s required by law. Doesn’t specify civil or criminal. It’s law. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2015, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-domain-tools-work/725305/8 "2015-07-17T21:40:39Z")
> [@lalaith](#): > > The email I get from my registrar say it’s required by law. Doesn’t specify civil or criminal. It’s law. I get an email from my registrar (GoDaddy) that says it’s important, but they don’t tell me it’s the law. Who is your registrar? ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2015, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-domain-tools-work/725305/9 "2015-07-17T22:41:17Z")
Giving false information can be problematic in wresting back a stolen domain; but if if not important, and there’s nothing illegal on the website gaining scrutiny, giving plausible information doesn’t matter a hang provided one keeps paying. Of course, for illegal stuff it would be vital to give false identifying information.