There is a lot of information that is considered private, and this includes IP addresses. IP addresses, while used to identify your computer in any online activity, are not listed in pubic directories the same way that information about landline phones is, which means that reverse IP address searches are considered illegal.

While you cannot legally look up someone's IP address, there is other information you can find out about them, legally and free, without a reverse IP address search. A large amount of online communication goes through an email server, which means that a trace route will be attached to the message listing IP addresses and emails of every place a digital letter goes. Though an email address can potentially tell someone a lot, they will have to at least know this piece of information before they can learn more.

Though reverse IP addresses may not be permissible, reverse email lookups can potentially provide you with the same degree of detail. A reverse email lookup searches server directories and lists all information registered to the account. Not all server directories are public, however, so those that are more likely to list personal information, such as work or school service accounts, are not usually available through a reverse email search.

The idea of a reverse email lookup is fairly simple, but the complication comes in with the sheer number of email servers. Also, most people have more than one email address, which makes it even more difficult for reverse email lookups (or, for that matter, reverse IP address searches) to find private data. Ultimately, what it comes down to is that while your IP address is a major identifying point and is frequently linked with your email address, the information available through a reverse email lookup is up to you.



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