Important Information if you own or visit .US domains.. NOW ILLEGAL

[Suave]

Today I have the unfortunate responsibility of informing you that there has been a decision made by bureaucrats of a Federal agency that takes away your right to privacy as guaranteed by the United States Constitution.

This decision was unilaterally made by the National Telecommunications and Information Association ("NTIA") www.ntia.doc.gov without hearings that would determine the impact on those affected, and delivered without notice ? in short, the NTIA decision was made without due process of any kind. This is exactly how our government is not supposed to work.

The effect of this decision is to disallow new private domain name registrations on .US domain names. In addition, if you already own a private .US domain name registration, you will be forced to forfeit your privacy no later than January 26, 2006. By that time, you will need to choose between either making your personal information available to anyone who wants to see it, or giving up your right to that domain name.

I personally find it ironic that our right to .US privacy was stripped away, without due process, by a federal government agency ? an agency that should be looking out for our individual rights. For the NTIA to choose the .US extension is the ultimate slap in your face. .US is the only domain name that is specifically intended for Americans (and also those who have a physical presence in our great country). So think about this for a moment. These bureaucrats stripped away the privacy that you're entitled to as an American, on the only domain name that says that you are an American. I am outraged by this ? you should be also.

If, like me, you are outraged at the NTIA's decision to strip away our constitutional right to privacy, www.TheDangerOfNoPrivacy.com will provide you with a petition to sign. (Only your name will be published, your address and email information will be kept private.) This Web site also provides a very easy way for you to send either a fax or an email, expressing your outrage, to your Congressperson and Senators. This is all provided at no cost to you. All that is required is for you to take the time to visit www.TheDangerOfNoPrivacy.com sign the petition, and send the fax or email to your legislators.

On my personal Blog, www.BobParsons.com there are a number of articles where you can learn more about the NTIA's unfortunate decision and what you can do to help get it reversed.

I also will be talking about our right to privacy on Radio Go Daddy, our weekly radio show that debuts today, March 30, at 7 PM PST. To find out how to listen in, please visit the Web site dedicated to the show, www.RadioGoDaddy.com.

You can be sure that I, and everyone at GoDaddy.com, will do everything in our power to get the NTIA decision reversed. However, we need your help. Please visit www.TheDangerOfNoPrivacy.com to sign the petition and express your feelings to your Congressperson and Senators.

Your Privacy at Stake: Decision Made to Disallow Private Registrations for .US Domain Names

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration ("NTIA") (http://www.ntia.doc.gov/), the telecommunications and Internet arm of the Department of Commerce, has disallowed private registrations for .US domain names.

This unfortunate decision was made by the NTIA, without a hearing or an opportunity for a response by those affected -- in fact; there was no due process of any kind. It's ironic that the NTIA has taken away our first amendment rights to privacy for the one domain name (.US) that is specifically intended for Americans. These bureaucrats stripped away the privacy that you're entitled to as an American; on the only domain name that says that you are an American.

Even while the NTIA has ruthlessly criticized ICANN in the past for lack of transparency, the NTIA itself has been evasive and untruthful about the entire process, and has yet to provide a satisfactory explanation for the move.

After giving only two weeks' notice, the NTIA has stated that they would not consider any arguments and that its decision is final, leaving thousands of .US domain owners confused and exposed.

This is NOT how our government is supposed to operate. Immediate repercussions for .US domain owners include:

* LOSS OF protection from stalkers and harassers.
* LOSS OF protection against solicitation and unwelcome visitors for home-based Web businesses.
* LOSS OF protection for loved ones associated with a family Web site or domain name.
* LOSS OF protection against SPAM and phishing (an email falsely claiming to be a legitimate enterprise in an attempt to scam the user into surrendering private information that will be used for identity theft).
* LOSS OF protection against attempts to steal identities and/or money.
* LOSS OF protection against general solicitations via phone and/or fax.
* LOSS OF the right to operate a Web site anonymously.
* LOSS OF the ability to speak anonymously (a First Amendment right confirmed by the Supreme Court).

If this decision is allowed to stand, it could lead to an attempt to take away privacy on other domain names and other areas that are important to you. If you care at all about your right to privacy, this is where you need to take a stand -- even if you don't own a private domain registration.

What you can do about it

Simply sign the petition on this site and send an email to your elected representatives in Washington, D.C. to express your outrage and request their help in reversing the NTIA's inappropriate decision. Your rights are at stake. Take action.