Hey there,

i have a domain (.de-domain, registered with netcup) that i would like to use for my email-provider, but i am hesitant.

Why i am hesitant: I don’t want that people might be able to find out my name/adress that is registered with my domain. If some service does not need my personal data, i simply don’t want them to be able to access them. It’s as simple as that.

I read that a whois-check could reveal my data, but the situation seems more complicated. At least, i couldn’t reveal my personal data with a whois-check.

Why i would like to use my own domain: I want to be more independent from my mail-provider.

I am not that tech-savvy, so sorry if this is a silly question. I tried searching, but didn’t found anything, probably because keywords like domain bring up lots of different topics.

  • melroy@kbin.melroy.org
    2·
    5 hours ago

    No single entity owns all domain names. Instead, the domain name system (DNS) is managed by a “decentralized” structure involving several organizations and entities:

    1. ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers): This nonprofit organization oversees the global domain name system, coordinates the allocation of domain names, and manages the database of domain names and IP addresses.
    2. Registries: Each top-level domain (TLD), such as .com, .org, or country-specific domains like .uk or .fr, is managed by a registry. For example, Verisign operates the .com and .net registries.
    3. Registrars: These are companies accredited by ICANN or the respective TLD registry to sell domain names to the public. Examples include GoDaddy, Namecheap, and Google Domains.
    4. End Users (You and me): Individuals or organizations that purchase domain names from registrars own those specific domain names, but they must adhere to the rules set by the registries and ICANN. And basically we just rent those domains from the registrars.

    In summary, domain names are owned by individual registrants, but their management and regulation are overseen by ICANN and various registries and registrars.