[Vision2020] New "Feature" in Google(privacy alert)

TEX tex@kuoi.asui.uidaho.edu
Thu, 3 Apr 2003 13:55:19 -0800 (PST)


I'm not certain what, if any, unique threat to your privacy you believe
this represents.  This "feature" is nothing unique to Google in any way.
The only way a map to your residence/business/etc is going to be available
is if your address is listed by the phone company.  If your address is
listed by the phone company, there are a million ways for someone to
obtain it.  http://www.qwestdex.com/cgi/search.fcg?
http://www.anywho.com (with reverse lookup capabilities on a tab across
the top)  etc, etc, etc.  There is no information to be gained from google
that you couldn't get from a phone book and a Rand McNally.

Tex
tex@kuoi.asui.uidaho.edu

On Thu, 3 Apr 2003, Tim Lohrmann wrote:

>
> > It's true.  I checked it out with my phone number.
> > You might
> > want to remove
> > >yours...
>
> > >Subject: New "Feature" in Google
> > >
> > >There is a new feature in Google that makes it
> > possible to type
> > a telephone
> > >number into Google's search bar, click the search
> > button, and
> > have a Yahoo!
> > >Maps or MapQuest page returned as a result. Any
> > person wishing
> > to discover
> > >the physical location of a phone number, be it a
> > home or business
> > address,
> > >can use this feature to locate a physical street
> > address, and
> > receive
> > >explicit directions on how to get there from
> > anywhere in the
> > country. One
> > >positive use of this feature could be to determine
> > the location
> > of, say, a
> > >party for whom you may only have a telephone
> > number. On a negative
> > note,
> > >this feature could also be used by an angry party
> > to find out
> > where you
> > >live.
> > >
> > >Fortunately, Google has made available an option
> > that will allow
> > anyone to
> > >remove their telephone number from the database
> > that is linked
> > to the
> > >mapping feature. You will first need to check if
> > your number
> > is listed in
> > >this manner by attempting a search -- entering your
> > full telephone
> > number
> > >separated by dashes (e.g., 555-123-4567). If the
> > number appears
> > in the
> > >mapping database, an icon resembling a telephone
> > will appear
> > next to the
> > >first or second entry on the result page. Clicking
> > on this icon
> > will take
> > >you to a page containing a description of the
> > service, with
> > a link to
> > >request your number be removed from the database.
> > >
> > >Many people are unaware of this potential danger.
> > Go to
> > >"http://www.google.com/ " then type in your phone
> > number to
> > check it out.
>
>
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