Avoid Porkbun as they ask ID verification for registering domain names
I just tried to create a new account at Porkbun and was taken a back when they asked to upload government ID before I proceed. I haven’t seen any domain registrar forcing ID verification from its users. Actually for registering domain names only real name, address and email are required. There is no lawful regulation to provide personal ID like passport, driving license, or any government ID. But Porkbun asks for it from their domain registrants. Even ICANN policies and agreements don’t require any government ID. So I suggest you should avoid Porkbun.
It’s insane to ask for personal ID verification by domain registrar/hosting providers. A name and email address is sufficient. Porkbun seems to be the only registrar which restricts users to get a simple domain registered. I too was asked for government ID by Porkbun and I just went away and register it quickly at Cloudflare.
Pork-bun has been asking ID verification from last 2 years or more. I just stopped going to them. There are 100s of better and privacy-friendly domain registrars like the-online.com or even gandi.net, why anybody has to give their personal ID to a private-entity like Porkbun? They even can misuse it. Who knows where your personal ID would be utilized. There is a thread on Reddit about Porkbun and yes, people to avoid them.
I have few domains registered at Porkbun. Still not asked ID. But if they force it I’ll be moving out and transferring domains away from Porkbun. Does Namecheap asks for ID?
Not only Porkbun asks for ID verification from domain registrants but they also silently suspend domains. Here is a lowendtalk thread about it. It’s a shaddy practice to ask for government ID just to register domain.
the-online.com just asks for email. Not even personal name. you can enter anything in name field and register domain. Most privacy friendly registrar.