Remove Phone Listing - Comments Page 1

I'm using my alias to add an extra layer of protection! It irritates the heck out of me when a website at which I'm registering makes my phone number a mandatory field. My solution: Most of the time, I enter the phone number of the large organization where I used to work before I retired. This meets their mandatory requirement, but makes it impossible for them to annoy me by phone. If you think I'm wrong to do this, please give me a call at 555-5555 :o)

Interesting. I agree on the privacy point. If you think your information is somehow secret you're mistaken. I saw a news show a few years ago where the reporter hired a private eye to find things out about him. In 10 MINUTES, in the reporters office, he had tons of stuff, including medical records, employment and tax records, and other supposedly private info. And that was before so many databases have moved online.

Recently, in an online dating service, I was contacted by a woman from a nearby city. Curious about the meaning of her "handle", I did a quick google. I didn't get a meaning but I got several pages of links to her flickr photos, other dating sites where she revealed different info, and discussion groups she'd posted in - all with the same handle. So you may want to vary your handle in different places.

Here in Canada, phone records have not moved into so many places yet. But I'm sure its coming. There is also services where you can not only get the aerial photo of the property but "drive" down the street with street level photos. Mainly this is used to preview where you're going and find nearby parking and such. And its mostly large city cores so far. Its also notable that some of the aerial photos of my property are Russian in origin (laughs).

After my last post, it occurred to me that many sites ask for your email address as a login. This becomes your user name and/or profile name. It occurred to me that if using your handle would be that visible, the email as profile would also be. And indeed it was. Glad I use a disposable email address for that...

The irony for me in the current situation is how for years (the 90s in particular) I tried to GET my contact information into those places - as a resource for people to get a hold of me (it seemed like I was never correctly listed in the phone book and I was frustrated at losing track of people)- and yet most times that I did an internet search of my name, it was tortuously complicated to get down to the info. I STILL have a much smaller internet footprint and presence than I would like.
Mind you, stealing MY identity would probably do ME more good than the thief. LOL

When I'm forced to provide a phone number, I enter "908-689-0000", which provides the correct area code and exchange (enough, for example, to verify the town I live in) but withholds the last four digits, preventing anyone from calling.

Frankly, I don't know why businesses insist upon knowing my phone number anyway; too many telemarketers calling our answering machine (and hanging up when they hear the outgoing message) as it is. Sheesh!

Thank you so much for the information! It is very much appreciated. -Eric T.

if you don't have any thing in your phone book then no body will find you when they need it . like your family members or close friends that could be a important emergency.

Try this: add or subtract a digit from the last digit of your phone number, then call it. For example, if it's 123-4567, call 123-4568. If there's no person at that number (you get a recording), make that your phone alias.

David, above, is right about also having a disposable email address too. Note: Gmail with Google has a privacy waiver. They can scan your e-mails and give info to marketers. No kidding!

EDITOR'S NOTE: What if someone else gets that phone number tomorrow? Bad idea... And please give a source for your claim that Google scans emails and gives personal info to marketers. I've used Gmail for three years and have never seen or heard anything about a privacy waiver.

Find out all you never wanted to know about Gmail from the Electronic Privacy Information Center. (www.epic.org/privacy/gmail/faq.html)

EDITOR'S NOTE: I see that document hasn't been updated in 3+ years. Many of the links don't work, either. It would be nice to have an up-to-date analysis.

As for EPIC's assertion that "Gmail violates the privacy rights of non-subscribers" by means of "content extraction performed on their e-mail" I don't think that really flies.

According to the Gmail privacy FAQ, "Google computers scan the text of Gmail messages in order to filter spam and detect viruses, just as all major webmail services do. Google also uses this scanning technology to deliver targeted text ads and other related information. The process is completely automated and involves no humans."

Advertisers only see aggregated non-personal information such as the number of times one of their ads was clicked. Google does not sell, rent or otherwise share personal information with any third parties.

I went to infospace and all the places listed in your article.
I found my name and too much information, BUT there was NO place at the right of the name to update or remove my information, also no contact area either. Once there was one central location that would remove your name from all spaces, is it no longer available?

EDITOR'S NOTE: Infospace has made it harder... See http://infospace.intelius.com/optout.php