4 steps to protect your privacy in .nz domain name space

When you register a .nz domain name, you must provide all of your contact details. It includes your name, address, telephone number and email address. 

But did you know that as an individual not involved in significant trade, you have a right to privacy? 

This right lets you choose not to reveal your address and phone number in your .nz domain name registration record. 

There are also several privacy savvy steps you can take to protect your personal information in the .nz domain name space.  

Start with thinking through when, where and how you share your personal information in the .nz domain name space. 

Step 1: Protect your privacy and apply for the .nz privacy option.

You can elect to have an Individual Registrant Privacy Option (also known as IRPO) apply at the time of registration. If you are an individual not involved in significant trade, opt in to this feature and your address and telephone number will be withheld from being publicly searchable on the .nz domain name online register.

With the privacy option on, your personal information is held securely by the Domain Name Commission and InternetNZ who run and manage the .nz domain name space, and certain details are restricted from being publicly available. 

Step 2: Use a secondary email address that doesn’t contain your name.

While an email is still available online and linked to your domain name, it doesn’t mean you have to supply your primary email address or an email address with your name in it. 

You can keep a clean secondary email associated with your domain name where you can be reached. It will allow you to keep your email footprint as small as possible. It will also mean if you receive unwanted communications or spam, you know that the potential source of this form of contact is coming from where you have used that particular email address. 

In the .nz domain name space, an email address is often used to contact you if something goes wrong with your domain name. For example, Vodafone recently discontinued some email suffixes, and the email address is being used to contact affected registrants. That’s why always use an email address that you have access to when registering a domain name. 

Step 3: Ensure your data is accurate, complete and not misleading in the registrant name field. 

In the registrant name field, you must ensure the name you enter is your, or your company’s name. If someone else is registering a domain name for you, make sure they register it in your name, not theirs, or their company’s. 

Why is this important? The registrant is the individual that has agreed to .nz policies and holds the license for that specific domain name. For example, if the domain name you use is registered in your web developer’s name, and they go out of business, it could make regaining control of the domain name difficult for you. You wouldn’t sign over your house, to your builder, would you?

Alternatively, if the registrant of the domain name is ‘private person’ the domain name might be suspended for fake contact details.

Step 4: Report any instances where you are made aware that your personal information is incorrectly associated with a .nz domain name.

One of the most common complaints reported to us involves where an individual's name is mistakenly or inaccurately associated with a .nz domain name registration and linked to a fake webshop.  

If you start to receive emails or phone calls associated with fake .nz webshops, please report these to us at [email protected] or phone us on +64 4 472 1600. 

We can check whether your name is associated with a .nz domain name. If this is inaccurate, we’ll take steps to follow this up, including correcting registration records and working with law enforcement agencies.