# Squarespace Domains privacy rating

Domain registrar run by the website builder Squarespace, which took over Google Domains customers. Registrations include WHOIS privacy on eligible domains, DNSSEC and SSL.

## Summary

Squarespace Domains scores 27 out of 100 (grade F) on the domain registrars criteria. It meets 2 of 12 criteria: TLS configuration and two-factor login. It partly meets Free WHOIS privacy, honest renewal pricing and transfer and registry lock. It does not meet open source, no trackers or telemetry, no ads or data sales, independent audit, transparency report, tells users about requests and security headers. It is based in the United States: Five Eyes member; subject to the US CLOUD Act. Automated tests: SSL Labs grade A+ and Mozilla HTTP Observatory grade F.

- Website: https://domains.squarespace.com
- Jurisdiction: United States. Five Eyes member. Subject to the US CLOUD Act.
- Home page trackers: Google Tag Manager, TrustArc (not scored)
- Category: [Domain registrars](https://privacyratings.com/domain-registrars/)
- Grade: F (27/100)

## Criteria

| Criterion | Answer | Note | Evidence |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Open source | No | Closed source. |  |
| No trackers or telemetry | No | The home page loads Google Tag Manager. |  |
| No ads or data sales | No | The privacy policy says interactions with third-party services are analyzed to tailor advertising. | https://www.squarespace.com/privacy |
| Independent audit | No | No independent audit is published. |  |
| Transparency report | No | No transparency report or government request policy is published. |  |
| Tells users about requests | No | No published policy on notifying users about data requests. |  |
| TLS configuration | Yes | Grade A+ | https://www.ssllabs.com/ssltest/analyze.html?d=domains.squarespace.com&hideResults=on |
| Security headers | No | Grade F (0/100+) | https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/observatory/analyze?host=domains.squarespace.com |
| Modern web standards | Not tested yet | Not tested yet. |  |
| Free WHOIS privacy | Partial | Free on eligible domains, but most ccTLDs do not allow it. | https://support.squarespace.com/hc/en-us/articles/205812438-Whois-privacy |
| Honest renewal pricing | Partial | Domains renew at the standard annual TLD price, so first-year offers and discounts renew higher. | https://support.squarespace.com/hc/en-us/articles/206541787-Free-Squarespace-domain-offer |
| Two-factor login | Yes | Authenticator apps, passkeys and hardware security keys are supported, as well as SMS in some countries. | https://support.squarespace.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000044827-Protect-your-account-with-two-factor-authentication |
| Transfer and registry lock | Partial | A transfer lock is enabled by default. No registry lock service is documented. | https://support.squarespace.com/hc/en-us/articles/360034059332-Domain-locks |

Source: https://privacyratings.com/domain-registrars/squarespace-domains/
Edit: https://github.com/privacyratings/privacyratings.com/edit/main/ratings/domain-registrars/squarespace-domains.md