[compbio]

It is useful to look at countries which require that you identify yourself if you want to sell stuff online.

For commercial sites in Germany a "Web Imprint" (Impressum) is required by law. This "Web Imprint" has to be on a prominent, easy to reach position on the site. It lists the contact data for the owner(s) of the website.

Making anonymously-run webshops against the law shields the consumer against fraud and always gives non-law enforcement a place of contact to file their complaints.

Check for yourself the correlation between WHOIS protected/anonimized webshops and shady business.

[blfr]

If they already have to feature a prominent web imprint, what does anyone gain from an entry in an obscure (to most web users) whois database? An entry that the registrar will happily cover with their own info for a small fee.