GDPR is an acronym that stands for General Data Protection Regulation. This is a law enforced by the European Union since May 2018, aimed at giving EU citizens control over their personal data and simplifying the regulatory environment for international business.
In the context of domain name investing, GDPR has had significant implications on the WHOIS system, which was traditionally used to look up information about the owners of domain names. Before GDPR came into effect, anyone could access the name, address, email, and phone number of a domain’s registrant through a WHOIS lookup.
However, to comply with GDPR’s privacy requirements, many registrars now redact or anonymize this information for domains registered by individuals within the European Economic Area (EEA). This has made it more challenging for domain investors and brokers to contact domain owners for potential purchases, as well as to verify the legitimacy of sellers.
Despite these challenges, GDPR is an important regulation to understand and comply with in the domain investing industry, especially for those dealing with EU-based domain registrants or buyers. Non-compliance can result in hefty fines, so it’s crucial for investors to ensure that their practices align with GDPR regulations.