
Namecheap vs. Facebook on Privacy - ted0
https://www.namecheap.com/blog/the-secret-fight-for-your-personal-information/
======
vxNsr
I read this article twice. I still have no idea what's happening.

Is facebook trying to get access to namecheap's user info on the grounds that
it might help them get trademark infringers?

Why does facebook think this will help them?

Are the trademark infringers really just phishers publishing fake "facebook"
sites that look like facebook but aren't?

~~~
ac29
"We found that Namecheap’s proxy service, Whoisguard, registered or used 45
domain names that impersonated Facebook and our services, such as
instagrambusinesshelp.com, facebo0k-login.com and whatsappdownload.site" via:
[https://about.fb.com/news/2020/03/domain-name-
lawsuit/](https://about.fb.com/news/2020/03/domain-name-lawsuit/)

Facebook thinks they have a "legitimate interest" to know who put up these
domains, Namecheap does not. As generally unsympathetic as I am to Facebook, I
think they are in the right here. Those domains are obviously designed to
confuse people into thinking they are accessing Facebook products or services.

~~~
vxNsr
Thanks this is hugely helpful. While I agree that those domains should be
taken down I don't think facebook should be the one to do it. If there isn't a
federal agency who has the legal authority to prosecute such things one should
be created.

~~~
ta17711771
The FBI...?

------
finnthehuman
Anyone have a link to the court docket?

edit: looks like
[https://dockets.justia.com/docket/arizona/azdce/2:2020cv0047...](https://dockets.justia.com/docket/arizona/azdce/2:2020cv00470/1235765)
but I don't have a PACER account.

------
bryan_w
Previous post on the matter:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22497391](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22497391)

------
NotSammyHagar
Thanks for sharing this. I hadn't heard about this latest apparent over-reach
from facebook. I didn't see that the article clarified whether facebook wanted
domain registration for all users, for a particular domain that fb claimed was
somehow fraudulent against facebook? Is it a fishing expedition that could be
used to later request info on random people so they can expand their
surveillance capitalism or is this really just a one off request?

I am very glad that namecheap is pushing back on requests like this.

------
romaniitedomum
More self-serving excuses on behalf of a Namecheap, a company that provides
bullet-proof domain registration and hosting for every manner of criminal gang
imaginable, from illegal drug sales to phishing to malware hosting, and who
hide behind the American constitution when confronted with their criminality.
The sooner Namecheap are sued into a smoking crater and every one of their
executives is behind bars the better.

~~~
unstatusthequo
Huh. I use them and are in none of those categories. You sound kinda mad.

~~~
romaniitedomum
Just a couple of things:

1\. Namecheap are the top domain registrar for botnet C&C servers, and have
been for years [1]. At one point they were over 65% of all botnet domains.
They didn't get and hold that position by being responsive to complaints.

2\. The US Justice Department had to sue Namecheap in March over a scam outfit
called coronavirusmedicalkit.com [2]. Namecheap happily supplied service to
this blatantly criminal fraud.

3\. Namecheap have a reputation for ignoring complaints about spammers on
their site. [3][4] In my own case, when I reported drug-dealing spammers to
them they gave my email address to the spammers in a bid to intimidate me into
silence.

As for your apparent interpretation of my remarks as saying that everyone
hosting with Namecheap must be a criminal, that is so ludicrous a leap as to
merit no further attention.

[1] [https://www.spamhaus.org/news/article/798/spamhaus-botnet-
th...](https://www.spamhaus.org/news/article/798/spamhaus-botnet-threat-
update-q1-2020) [2] [https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-files-
its-...](https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-files-its-first-
enforcement-action-against-covid-19-fraud) (See PDF attachments for name of
defendant) [3] [https://smartypants.com/index.php/news/article/update-on-
spa...](https://smartypants.com/index.php/news/article/update-on-spam-support-
websites-hosted-by-namecheap.com) [4]
[http://www.circleid.com/posts/20200312-namecheap-eff-and-
the...](http://www.circleid.com/posts/20200312-namecheap-eff-and-the-
dangerous-internet-wild-west/)

------
bobberkarl
I'm trying my best to understand what is zuck building. But I can't do far. A
global surveillance machine will serve what purpose, and how does he benefit
from it? The guy has everything bar being liked.

~~~
NotSammyHagar
To sell people better targeted ads and make more money.

