Is it possible to hide domain owner information in Whois?

In accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan, namely the Law "On Informatization" dated November 24, 2015, and the Rules for registration, use and distribution of domain names in the Kazakhstan segment of the Internet*, adopted on January 28, 2016, information about the registrant and the administrative contact of .KZ and .ҚАЗ domains is displayed in the Whois system.

Any violation of these rules may result in the registry suspending the domain name registration. If the violations are not corrected, the domain will be deleted.

* Rules for registration, use and distribution of domain names in the Kazakhstan segment of the Internet (unofficial translation)

Approved
by the order of the Minister of Defence
and Aerospace Industry
of the Republic of Kazakhstan
dated March 13, 2018 No. 38/НҚ

Chapter 1. General provisions

1. These Rules for registration, use and distribution of domain names in the Kazakhstan segment of the Internet (hereinafter — the Rules) have been developed in accordance with subparagraph 16) of Article 7-1 of the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On Informatization" dated November 24, 2015 (hereinafter - the Law) and define the procedure for registration, use and distribution of domain names in the Kazakhstan segment of the Internet.

2. The following key terms and abbreviations are used in these Rules:
1) authorized body in the field of information security (hereinafter — the authorized body) — the central executive body responsible for management and cross-industry coordination in the field of information security;
2) domain name - a symbolic (alphanumeric) designation formed in accordance with the Internet addressing rules, corresponding to a specific network address and intended for named access to an Internet object;
3) Domain Name System (hereinafter - DNS) - a distributed database for obtaining information about domain names. It contains information on the correspondence between domain names and Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and operates in accordance with the Request for Comments standards (hereinafter - RFC) - 1032, 1034, 1035, 1122, 1133, 1591;
4) domain name registrant (hereinafter — the registrant) — an individual or legal entity that has submitted a registrant application to a registrar of domain names in the Kazakhstan segment of the Internet for the registration of domain names in the Kazakhstan segment of the Internet and that owns the domain names for the period of their registration in the Kazakhstan segment of the Internet;
5) Kazakhstan segment of the Internet - the totality of Internet resources hosted on hardware and software systems located on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
6) administrator of domain names in the domain space of the Kazakhstan segment of the Internet (hereinafter — the administrator) — a non-profit public organization designated by the authorized body in accordance with the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On Informatization", responsible for the development of the domain space of the Kazakhstan segment of the Internet;
7) first-level domain name in the Kazakhstan segment of the Internet (hereinafter — first-level domain name) — the .KZ or .ҚАЗ domain name allocated by the international organization ICANN for use in the interests of the Republic of Kazakhstan, located in the hierarchy of the domain space of the Kazakhstan segment of the Internet one step below the root domain name and being a direct subdomain of the root domain name (RFC-882);
8) second-level domain name in the Kazakhstan segment of the Internet (hereinafter — second-level domain name) — a domain name located in the hierarchy of the domain space of the Kazakhstan segment of the Internet one step below the first-level domain name and being a direct subdomain of the first-level domain name (RFC-882);
9) register of domain names in the Kazakhstan segment of the Internet (hereinafter — the register) — a centralized set of databases of all registered domain names in the Kazakhstan segment of the Internet containing all the details of the registered domain names;
10) registry of domain names in the Kazakhstan segment of the Internet (hereinafter — the registry) — a legal entity that maintains the register and supports the stable operation of the Kazakhstan first-level domain name;
11) registrar of domain names in the Kazakhstan segment of the Internet (hereinafter — the registrar) — a legal entity, a resident of the Republic of Kazakhstan, accredited by the administrator to provide domain name registration services, enter information about a domain name into the register and delete it, as well as amend the information entered in the register, and to ensure the registrant's right to use the domain name on the basis of agreements with the registry and the registrant (hereinafter – the service). Non-residents of the Republic of Kazakhstan may obtain accreditation from the administrator of national domain names only if they are accredited by ICANN as a Registrar;
12) third-level domain name in the Kazakhstan segment of the Internet (hereinafter — third-level domain name) — a domain name located in the hierarchy of the domain space of the Kazakhstan segment of the Internet one step below the second-level domain name and being a direct subdomain of the second-level domain name (RFC-882);
13) backup copy of an Internet resource – a backup data set of an Internet resource used in the event of a failure of the main Internet resource;
14) root domain name — the domain name designated by a dot ".", operating on the Internet on the basis of RFC-882;
15) domestic security certificate — a set of electronic digital symbols used for passing traffic containing encryption-enabled protocols, issued by a domestic certification authority;
16) application — a request from the registrant to the registrar containing all the information required for the registration of domain names in the Kazakhstan segment of the Internet (renewal of the registration), amendment of previously provided information, transfer, or cancellation of an existing domain name registration;
17) reserved domain names — domain names for state needs corresponding to the abbreviated names established by these Rules;
18) phishing — a set of techniques aimed at unlawfully obtaining the account or confidential data of an Internet user;
19) foreign security certificate — a set of electronic digital symbols used for passing traffic containing encryption-enabled protocols, issued by a foreign certification authority;
20) DNS server — specialized software for serving the domain name system, as well as the hardware on which the software runs;
21) RFC — a document defining the technical and organizational conditions for the functioning of the Internet, adopted by the public organizations Internet Engineering Task Force and Internet Engineering Steering Group;
22) WHOIS server — specialized software designed for obtaining information about registered domain names, operating in accordance with RFC-3912, as well as the hardware on which the software runs.

Chapter 2. Procedure for registering domain names in the Kazakhstan segment of the Internet

3. To register a domain name, the registrant submits to the registrar a registrant application in the form set out in the annex to these Rules, with reliable and complete information, in electronic or paper form (hereinafter — the application).

4. All applications are considered in the order in which they are received by the registrar, according to the recorded time of their submission to the registrar.

5. Within 3 (three) business days of receiving the application from the registrant, the registrar verifies:
1) the reliability and completeness of the information specified in the application, including information about the location of the server equipment in the Kazakhstan segment of the Internet on which the domain name will be used;
2) the availability of the requested domain name for registration at the time of the application;
3) the compliance of the requested domain name with the Internet standards: RFC-1032, RFC-1034, RFC-1035, RFC-1122, RFC-1133, RFC-1591;
4) the absence of the requested domain name from the list of reserved domain names specified in paragraph 30 of these Rules;
5) the absence of an effective court decision prohibiting the use of the domain name being registered;
6) the absence in the requested domain name of information prohibited by the laws of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

6. If the requested domain name does not meet one or more of the conditions specified in paragraph 5 of these Rules, the registrar returns the application to the registrant.

7. If the requested domain name meets all the conditions specified in paragraph 5 of these Rules, the registrar concludes a domain name registration agreement with the registrant (hereinafter — the agreement) and enters the information about the registered domain name into the register.

8. Domain names are considered registered from the moment the information about them is entered into the register.

9. The registrant informs the registrar of all changes to the information about the individual or legal entity specified in the agreement no later than 10 (ten) business days from the moment of such changes. The information about an individual specified in the agreement is confidential and may be disclosed to a third party only in the cases and in the manner provided for by law.

10. Having received from the registrant a notification of changes to the information about the individual or legal entity specified in the agreement, the registrar enters the changes into the register within 3 (three) business days.

11. If the registrant intends to transfer the domain name for use to another individual or legal entity, the registrant notifies the registrar of the transfer of the rights to the domain name in use, specifying the details of the person to whom the rights to use the domain name are to be transferred.

12. No less than 20 (twenty) business days before the expiration of the agreement, the registrar sends a corresponding notification to the registrant.

13. If the registrant declines to continue using the domain name, the registrant sends a notification to the registrar specifying the expected date of termination of the agreement, no later than the expiration date of the agreement.

14. Within 3 (three) business days from the termination date specified by the registrant in the submitted notification, the registrar deletes the domain name from the register and notifies the registrant of the termination of the agreement, as well as of the fact that re-registration of the deleted domain name is not possible earlier than 60 (sixty) calendar days later.
14-1. A domain name is renewed if there is a renewal agreement between the registrar and the registrant concluded before its expiration.
14-2. Upon expiration of a domain name, the registrant renews the domain name within 30 (thirty) calendar days in accordance with the condition specified in paragraph 14-1 of these Rules.

15. The registry ensures the functioning of the register, with the ability for registrars of domain names in the Kazakhstan segment of the Internet to make changes to the register, delegate domain names and provide all current information about registered domain names through the WHOIS server.

Chapter 3. Procedure for using domain names in the Kazakhstan segment of the Internet

16. The use of a domain name in the Kazakhstan segment of the Internet is suspended in the event of:
1) detection of unreliable registrant information specified in the application submitted by the registrant for domain name registration;
2) detection of malicious software on the Internet resource that poses a threat to the safe use of the Internet;
3) an effective court decision to suspend the use of the domain name;
4) failure of the registrant to remedy an information security incident of which a notification was received from the authorized body or from the National Information Security Coordination Center;
5) absence of a security certificate (domestic or foreign);
6) hosting of the Internet resources on hardware and software systems outside the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
7) a notification of phishing detected on the Internet resource received from the Information Security Operations Center or the Information Security Incident Response Service, or an industry Information Security Operations Center.

17. In the event of violations related to the use of a domain name as provided for in paragraph 16 of these Rules, the registry, upon request of the authorized body, sends a notification to the registrar specifying the nature of the violation.

18. Within 1 (one) business day, the registry suspends the registration of the domain names and sends a notification to the registrar about the need to remedy the grounds for the suspension of the domain name registration in the Kazakhstan segment of the Internet.

19. Having received the information from the registry, the registrar informs the registrant within 1 (one) business day of the need to remedy the violations within 10 (ten) business days of receiving the notification, unless a different period is established by an effective court decision.

20. For the period of remedying the violation, the registry suspends the use of the domain name by making a corresponding entry in the register.

21. After remedying the violations specified in the registry's notification, the registrant sends a notification to the registry.

22. After receiving the notification that the registrant has remedied the violation specified in the registry's notification, the use of the domain name is resumed by the registry within 1 (one) business day by making a corresponding entry in the register.

23. The use of a domain name in the Kazakhstan segment of the Internet is terminated in the event of:
1) an application from the registrant to terminate the domain name registration;
2) expiration of the agreement between the registrant and the registrar;
3) failure to remedy a violation that caused the suspension of the use of the domain name within the period established by the registry and specified in the registry's notification;
4) an effective court decision to terminate the use of the domain name.

24. If one of the conditions specified in paragraph 23 of these Rules occurs, the registrar sends a notification to the registrant about the termination of the agreement.

25. In the cases provided for in subparagraphs 1) and 2) of paragraph 23 of these Rules, the termination of the domain name registration with the corresponding entries in the register is carried out by the registrar.

26. In the cases provided for in subparagraphs 3) and 4) of paragraph 23 of these Rules, the termination of the domain name registration with the corresponding entries in the register is carried out by the registry, with notification of the registrar.

27. The use of .KZ and (or) .ҚАЗ domain names in the Kazakhstan segment of the Internet for data transmission by Internet resources is carried out with the use of security certificates.

Chapter 4. Procedure for distributing domain names in the Kazakhstan segment of the Internet

28. The distribution of domain names in the Kazakhstan segment of the Internet is based on free access to information about registered domain names and reserved second-level domain names.

29. Reserved second-level and lower-level domain names include the following domain names:
1) EDU.KZ — intended for the registration of third-level domain names for organizations that are residents of the Republic of Kazakhstan engaged in educational activities;
2) GOV.KZ — intended for the registration of third-level domain names for state bodies of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
3) MIL.KZ — intended for the registration of third-level domain names for bodies of the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

30. Reserved domain names are distributed based on applications in accordance with paragraph 29 of these Rules.

Annex to the Rules — registrant application
Source