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Ask HN: Why would a foreign domain registry want my SSN?

3 points by oskapt ↗ HN
I have a vanity domain under .pt. I bought it three years ago and paid for 5 years. Last week I received an email from the registry saying that my contact information is invalid. I looked - all was fine. I sent in a request for more info, and they told me that they need my taxpayer ID (US Social Security Number). I'm a civilian, not a Portugese or EU citizen, and the registry doesn't have anything to do with US tax authorities. I refused to provide it.

They argue that they need it to either a) validate that I'm myself if I lose control of the domain or b) because they issue invoices/receipts for purchase. Neither of these things require my SSN. I've had numerous exchanges with them, and all of them use logic to the effect of:

We don't have this information. Because we don't have it, we have decided that we need it. Because we need it, you have to provide it

My argument is:

You didn't need it when I registered. You didn't ask for it for the last 3 years. You don't need it for your two stated reasons. A US SSN is considered confidential information. Without a law stating I have to provide it, I'm not going to provide it.

The threat is that if I don't comply in 8 days from the original email, they'll delete my domain.

Why would they require my SSN? Am I right in not giving it to them? Has anyone else with a domain under .pt run into this?

Edited: for formatting

5 comments

[ 2.6 ms ] story [ 24.0 ms ] thread
smt88
Are you 100% sure that email came from the registry? Did you talk to them on the phone using the number listed on their website? Have you contacted ICANN?
oskapt
It's not phishing. I submitted a ticket to dns.pt independent of the original email.
jeffmould
Haven't heard of a domain register asking for a social security number specifically to verify ID, but have heard of foreign domain registers asking foreign registrants to supply a photo id and/or passport number, or some other form of photo identification. It is completely possible that something changed in the last 5 years with the registration requirements that they now require additional verification (i.e. they opened domain registrations up to non-residents).
oskapt
Passport/ID is reasonable. I have trading accounts that needed that information. It's the demand for taxpayer ID that is fishy.
jeffmould
Yeah I would resist the SSN. They wouldn't take a passport or driver's license? Sounds like you got some tech support reading a script.