There was a time when a WHOIS lookup told you the name, address and phone number of the holder of almost any domain. GDPR changed that, and .eu, as a European extension, applies strict protection rules.
What a .eu WHOIS shows
EURid’s WHOIS shows the domain’s technical information:
- whether the domain is registered or free;
- the registrar that manages it;
- the DNS servers;
- the domain’s status, for example active or in quarantine.
What it doesn’t show
For private individuals, the registrant’s personal data, such as name, address and phone number, is not published. The registry keeps it, but doesn’t show it to anyone who runs a search. For organisations, some information about the holding entity may be visible.
How to contact the holder of a .eu
If you want to contact the holder of a domain, for example to offer to buy it, you can use the channels EURid provides, which forward your message without revealing the registrant’s details.
Where rights are infringed, such as the misuse of a trademark, EURid has procedures to request disclosure of the registrant’s data. These are formal procedures and do not go through the public WHOIS.
How to prove a domain is yours
Precisely because WHOIS doesn’t show the holder, when a bank, marketplace or social network asks you to prove the domain is yours you need a document. With WeRegister you download the domain ownership certificate from the panel, with the registrant’s and the registrar’s details.
To look up the WHOIS of your domains and the ones you’re interested in, go to the .eu domain WHOIS page.