If you own a domain name or website, you’ll be familiar with the brand Whois. This is a database of information on each website, including the owner’s details, when the name was registered, and when it expires. Many have likened it to an online version of an old-style physical phonebook.
Whois provides a lookup tool you can use to find out who is behind a particular domain name. This can be useful if you want to know when a domain name is coming up for renewal; for example, you might want to make an offer if you’d like to purchase the name.
For years, all domain registries and registrars were required to provide Whois services. However, as of 28th January 2025, this is no longer the case. ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, has confirmed that a new protocol, called RDAP, is taking over.
What is RDAP?
On the surface, it’s another slightly awkward word that stands for Registration Data Access Protocol. This takes over the role formerly handled by Whois. However, Whois isn’t going to vanish overnight, despite the dramatic title for this article. Chances are it will still be around for some time, as domain registries and registrars now have access to RDAP but are not yet required to switch over from Whois. It seems the two will essentially run side by side for a while.
Will RDAP create any privacy concerns for domain owners?
No – all current privacy laws applicable to Whois data will equally apply to data that is accessible under the new RDAP service. So, if your data is redacted and not accessible via Whois, it shouldn’t be under the new service either.
How can you access the new RDAP process?
ICANN provides visitors with a free registration data lookup tool. If you use this after 28th January 2025, you will be searching via RDAP rather than Whois. You probably won’t notice any difference if you’re a domain name owner or simply looking for information about domain ownership though. The problems are likely to be experienced by domain name registries and registrars.
Many of their systems are built with the intention of accessing Whois data. Since that is now not the preferred source to access, some systems may struggle to complete the process. It is thought that registrars will need to adjust the code that accesses the data, to ensure it can cope with the new RDAP responses.
For now, it is likely that some registrars will continue to use Whois. It is no longer a requirement, but since everyone uses it, it is likely to be a slow change over to the new RDAP protocol. Indeed, I wonder how long it will be before the internet completely switches over to RDAP – and how many hiccups might occur along the way. Whois has also become a word in itself, so I can foresee it being a good while yet before we forget about Whois and its demise, and fully embrace the odd-sounding RDAP.