ltwguns.com

This was just posted to a list I belong to, and I was curious to know if any of the moderators were familiar with it.

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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.

Theo