# Looking up a website's owner (Potential Warning) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 16, 2016, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-up-a-websites-owner-potential-warning/766057 "2016-09-16T01:41:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ssgenius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@ssgenius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ssgenius)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-up-a-websites-owner-potential-warning/766057/1 "2016-09-16T01:41:18Z")
I just found out that it is possible to look up the owner of a website using > **[WHOIS Domain Lookup Tool from GoDaddy](https://www.godaddy.com/whois)** > > WHOIS lets you discover if a domain name is already owned or if it is available for you to purchase. Find the info you're looking for with a WHOIS search. Usually not a problem in most cases but this information also shows the owner’s name ,address and phone number (if it is not hidden) For example, I tried “[Davidduke.com](http://Davidduke.com)” and it gave me PO Box 188 Admin City: Mandeville Admin State/Province: LA Admin Postal Code: 70470 Admin Country: US and his phone number (which I am not going to post) Although in all fairness, most websites go to a corporate address (Both Donald Trump’s and Hillary Clinton’s do) however, this could be used to find out someone’s address if they have not disguised it in some way. I tried this on a semi-famous model friend who I knew at one time (who uses a stage name) and it gave her phone number , real name and home address. I showed this to her (actually emailed it to her) and she was quite surprised. However, I suppose most people here are familiar with this (or maybe not) Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-up-a-websites-owner-potential-warning/766057/2 "2016-09-16T01:45:27Z")
Yeah, it’s very well known. ---
**Author:** ![Jake\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Jake\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake_Jones)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-up-a-websites-owner-potential-warning/766057/3 "2016-09-16T04:09:02Z")
WHOIS dates back to ARPANET, the precursor to the internet. There are readily available proxy services that allow an individual or entity to maintain anonymity if they wish to do so. As **Telemark** says, this is very well known. It’s kind of like having a landline and being listed in the white pages. If you don’t understand that phone books exist and that you have to pay additional money for an unlisted number, one might question your fitness to maintain telephone service. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-up-a-websites-owner-potential-warning/766057/4 "2016-09-16T04:53:07Z")
> [@Jake\_Jones](#): > > WHOIS dates back to ARPANET, the precursor to the internet. There are readily available proxy services that allow an individual or entity to maintain anonymity if they wish to do so. As **Telemark** says, this is very well known. > > It’s kind of like having a landline and being listed in the white pages. If you don’t understand that phone books exist and that you have to pay additional money for an unlisted number, one might question your fitness to maintain telephone service. I seem to remember that in the early 80s or so if a landline was created with a ‘feminine’ sounding first name as the owner they would by default not print the address. Apparently some single women living on their own had been preyed upon by criminals this way, resulting in lawsuits. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-up-a-websites-owner-potential-warning/766057/5 "2016-09-16T06:07:27Z")
> [@ssgenius](#): > > Although in all fairness, most websites go to a corporate address (Both Donald Trump’s and Hillary Clinton’s do) however, this could be used to find out someone’s address if they have not disguised it in some way. Or you could just use a phone book. Or many other ways to find out a person’s address. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-up-a-websites-owner-potential-warning/766057/6 "2016-09-16T07:17:42Z")
I pay $5/domain/year for anonymous service. The registrar uses its own address and forwards any correspondence to me. It cuts on hacking attempts too. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-up-a-websites-owner-potential-warning/766057/7 "2016-09-16T07:23:08Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > Or you could just use a phone book. Huh?! What is this _‘fa-own bock’_ of which you speak? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![mistymage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mistymage/32/459_2.png) [@mistymage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mistymage)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-up-a-websites-owner-potential-warning/766057/8 "2016-09-16T11:56:34Z")
My website host uses his address/info for me for a small fee which includes making sure everything involved in having a website is up to date. It’s not that I am trying to be anonymous or anything it’s just a convenience. ---
**Author:** ![ssgenius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@ssgenius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ssgenius)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-up-a-websites-owner-potential-warning/766057/9 "2016-09-16T12:05:56Z")
It is well known to anyone familiar with website hosting. However, I will bet that many people are not familiar with it. I wasn’t until a few days ago. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-up-a-websites-owner-potential-warning/766057/10 "2016-09-16T13:38:12Z")
Here in the UK personal registrants can opt to have their details kept private. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-up-a-websites-owner-potential-warning/766057/11 "2016-09-16T14:00:56Z")
> [@Mighty\_Girl](#): > > I pay $5/domain/year for anonymous service. The registrar uses its own address and forwards any correspondence to me. > > It cuts on hacking attempts too. I get an offer for that service every year when I renew my domain. Since it’s child’s play to find that information through other channels I don’t use it. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-up-a-websites-owner-potential-warning/766057/12 "2016-09-16T15:51:33Z")
DNS lookup can expose a lot of half-smart operators who don’t realize that information is publicly exposed. At least once I called up someone at what turned out to be their home phone to point out that I really, really didn’t want them creating any more bogus accounts on a forum I ran. They didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-up-a-websites-owner-potential-warning/766057/13 "2016-09-16T15:59:12Z")
Some people are just less informed than other people are. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-up-a-websites-owner-potential-warning/766057/14 "2016-09-16T16:07:20Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Here in the UK personal registrants can opt to have their details kept private. What are you guys hiding cross the pond?:dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Me\_Billy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Me\_Billy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Me_Billy)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-up-a-websites-owner-potential-warning/766057/15 "2016-09-16T16:24:27Z")
Smart famous people will have all these things owned/held by a business or corporation name. Same with buying a house, they don’t use their name.