WHOIS is a protocol used to query databases that contain information about registered domain names and their owners. This information includes details such as the domain name's creation date, expiration date, registrar, and contact information for the domain owner, administrative contact, and technical contact. The WHOIS protocol is used by individuals and organizations to look up information about a domain name and its owner. The information provided by WHOIS can be useful for various purposes, such as investigating online fraud or contacting the owner of a domain name to inquire about purchasing it. However, due to privacy concerns, many domain registrars offer the option of hiding some or all of this information from public view.