The term "whois" refers to a widely used internet protocol and database service that allows users to query information about registered domain names, IP addresses, and autonomous systems. It provides details such as the domain owner’s contact information, registration and expiration dates, nameservers, and registrar information

. WHOIS is primarily used to:

• Verify domain registration and ownership.
• Contact domain owners for legal, administrative, or business reasons.
• Investigate cybercrime or intellectual property issues.
• Troubleshoot network or DNS problems.
• Conduct research on domain registration trends

The WHOIS database is maintained under the oversight of ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), which enforces rules to ensure the accuracy of the data. However, privacy protection services often mask personal details to protect registrants from spam or identity theft

. In summary, "whois" is a tool and protocol for looking up ownership and registration details of internet domain names and IP addresses. It is not a person but a service that helps identify who owns a particular domain or IP