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What distinguishes PrivateDomainData from other Internet Service Providers is our commitment to the anonymity of our clients. At PrivateDomainData, we feel that privacy and anonymity are vital issues that are often overlooked. The Problem Today, privacy and anonymity are being increasingly challenged, both in the U.S. and abroad. This is a serious problem, because thieves and con artists can obtain personal information, with devastating results. Even the exposure of seemingly harmless facts can lead to consequences ranging from minor annoyances to identity theft, which can take vast amounts of time and money to correct. Moreover, personal information is widespread and easy to capture. On the Internet, any visit to a web site, any information entered on a site, any email sent, can potentially be intercepted, logged, and analyzed for patterns. Remember the New Yorker cartoon from several years ago: "On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog"? Today, they might know not only that you're a dog, but what breed and what vet you see. Another concern is the threat posed to the First Amendment. People hesitate to express unpopular opinions when they fear that exposure of their identity may subject them to harassment or even violence. Anonymity is an important defense against prejudice. Finally, there are also those who require anonymity for their safety and security, such as whistle-blowers and victims of violent crime or abuse. The Response A common response to this problem is to focus on the security of the network's intrastructure, but this solves only part of the problem. Ultimately, privacy is hurt far more often by information that is willingly revealed than by illicit attacks. And no matter how much care one exercises in one's online activities, there is still the formidable problem of where personal information goes once it has been revealed. For example, many merchants routinely sell client lists to junk mailers. Posting to mailing lists can attract unwanted email ("spam"). And even if those to whom information is given are trustworthy, they may still be the victim of theft. Once information is revealed, it can easily be spread. In response to this concern, many merchants, mailing lists, and other companies and web sites are developing privacy policies. These policies explain exactly what is done with personal information; to whom it is given, and why. This is sensible, and reading these policies before divulging personal information is wise. But these policies are not necessarily iron-clad guarantees. An excellent example is a recent case in which a major national ISP gave out the identity of one of its customers - in direct violation of its privacy policy - causing him to be discharged from the Navy. (He had posted his sexual orientation online.) This is alarming not just for its obvious implications, but because an ISP has access to an extremely large amount of information about its customers. While a merchant could distribute your address, your ISP can, if they wish, track your every move online. The Solution By definition, the only true solution to the problem of anonymity is not to reveal any information. This is difficult because the vast majority of companies - ISPs included - require personal information from their customers. But PrivateDomainData is different. At PrivateDomainData, we go to great lengths to ensure that our clients remain anonymous. We accept payment by money order, and require no contact information whatsoever. Because we never have any personal information, we can never reveal it. Also, only minimal records of logins and usage are kept, and these only for security purposes. Further, we have modified the operating systems on our servers to prevent users from seeing the activities and logins of other users. In short, we do everything we can to keep our clients' Internet usage private and anonymous. For this reason, we are the right choice for anyone who has a specific need for privacy, has unpopular opinions to express, or simply wants to feel more comfortable about their Internet usage. If you are interested in learning more about Internet privacy, see the references on our Resources page, or email us. |