Since the end of June 2000 the data of domains that end in .de can only be retrieved via the German registry DENIC. The data transfer to the European Internet organisation RIPE in Amsterdam was stopped at that time. The RIPE database now redirects queries for German domain names automatically to DENIC.

As a consequence thereof consumer privacy is enhanced, because the query options have been restricted. DENIC neither allows reverse lookups (e.g. lists of all domains belonging to a certain user), nor alphabetical tables of all existing domain names. The goal is to prevent misuse of personal data for spam emails and domain grabbing. The only query for personal data that is possible looks for the owner of a given domain, because this information is needed in the case of legal disputes. For quite some time already DENIC doesn't show the telephone numbers of domain owners, precisely for the same reason. Domain name queries can be performed at online on the DENIC-Website.