Domain legend Frank Schilling links to two more articles speculating on the “Google-GoDaddy merger” rumours.

When asked about a potential union, Godaddy CEO Bob Parsons told eWeek, “I have no comment on that, but I’d like to.”

Google became an ICANN Registrar in 2005, causing speculation that this move was intended to give them more access to information on domains. However as a Registrar they are limited to access on the domains they have directly registered. A merger with GoDaddy would up their game considerably though, giving them open access to over 14m records.

This would understandably cause some privacy concerns for domain holders there. GoDaddy’s own WHOIS privacy service would give little protection, as they hold records matching privacy settings to real account holders. Anyone trying to keep domain ownership details under the radar should take note, especially after recent reports from Aaron Wall.

If you’re looking for a “safe” Registrar then my vote would be for Tucows. Considering they are the account holders for domains such as microsoft.com, it’s unlikely their client base would favour a Google take-over.

Update: Fantomaster has a great write-up here on the issue, with practical steps you can take to hide your footprints.

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