Intelius now sells cell phone information.

[Godwynn]

On ABC news tonight. The information database Intelius now sells cell phone information, past addresses, apartment numbers, and information on minors. The ABC news crew went out on the streets and looked up information on random people who wanted to test the new system. One woman had her past apartment number published, and another woman's 14 year old son's cell phone number was available for purchase.

Only $15.

Do you think this will change once you find out your local congressman's cell phone number and call them at 2a.m.?

 

[Japanrocks12]

On ABC news tonight. The information database Intelius now sells cell phone information, past addresses, apartment numbers, and information on minors. The ABC news crew went out on the streets and looked up information on random people who wanted to test the new system. One woman had her past apartment number published, and another woman's 14 year old son's cell phone number was available for purchase.

Only $15.

Do you think this will change once you find out your local congressman's cell phone number and call them at 2a.m.?

don't like this at all, and I'd be willing to do that just to stop it.

 

[bathsheba666]

Do you have data protection laws over there?

 

[Masquerouge]

Oh but it's the free market? Right?

/sarcasm

 

[Homie]

Don't you have online phonebooks where you can look up all this information anyway? We do in Norway, and it's never been a problem, in fact, it's very useful and I use it all the time. Of course you can choose not to be listed, or not to have your address listed.

 

[Godwynn]

Of course you can choose not to be listed, or not to have your address listed.

There is no option for this.

 

[The Yankee]

On ABC news tonight. The information database Intelius now sells cell phone information, past addresses, apartment numbers, and information on minors. The ABC news crew went out on the streets and looked up information on random people who wanted to test the new system. One woman had her past apartment number published, and another woman's 14 year old son's cell phone number was available for purchase.

Only $15.

Do you think this will change once you find out your local congressman's cell phone number and call them at 2a.m.?

Definitely. Though I wouldn't want to waste $15 on each phone number. Just isn't worth it. Especially when spamming the Congressional switchboard seems to be that it'll be much more satisfying.

 

[cubsfan6506]

There is no option for this.

My parents are unlisted.

 

[Godwynn]

My parents are unlisted.

I am talking for Intelius, not the phonebook. Over the coming days there will be 160,000,000 cell phone numbers in its databases.

 

[The Yankee]

Oh well...if someone wanted to waste $15 getting my information, then joke's on them and they got ripped off. But I do obviously acknowledge the violation of privacy for profit here.

 

[LordRahl]

Oh but it's the free market? Right?

/sarcasm

What does "free market" have to do with privacy laws? If anything "free market" countries are much better at protecting your privacy than the commie alternative...

 

[Masquerouge]

What does "free market" have to do with privacy laws? If anything "free market" countries are much better at protecting your privacy than the commie alternative...

Oh you mean like all the telemarketing calls I used to get on Sundays before I registered on a GOVERNMENT-RUN website so that they stopped calling me?

 

[Homie]

Oh you mean like all the telemarketing calls I used to get on Sundays before I registered on a GOVERNMENT-RUN website so that they stopped calling me?

Yeah, we have that too.

 

[Masquerouge]

Yeah, we have that too.

Sarcasm

how dare you stop the free market from working with your communist-government-backed tool? What they're doing is not illegal!

/sarcasm

 

[Godwynn]

What they're doing is not illegal!

With a lot of prayer and a bit of luck hopefully it will be.

Nah, what the hell am I thinking? Congress and Bush would never stop this from happening.

 

[The Yankee]

Well, only if someone starts spamming Harry Reid's main cell phone.

But there's gotta be a better use for $15 out there.

 

[Godwynn]

But there's gotta be a better use for $15 out there.

There are discounted rates for bulk cell phone numbers.

 

[Masquerouge]

But if what's proposed in the OP becomes legal, will you view the donotcall.gov site where you can asked to be removed from telemarketers lists as an obstruction of the free market?

 

[LordRahl]

Oh you mean like all the telemarketing calls I used to get on Sundays before I registered on a GOVERNMENT-RUN website so that they stopped calling me?

Sorry, but I still fail to see how the "free market" applies to the OP's problem. As far as telemarketing itself - annoying as it is, it's still not a "privacy" issue. Of course people in Cuba/North Korea and other socialist countries don't have to worry about telemarketers, because there's no need for them when all you have is crappy economy, state run monopolies, and no competition. In the US at least, as surprising as it may seem, there must be a demand for telemarketers - otherwise, if the people weren't buying, telemarketers would stop calling (the beauty of free market's invisible hand).
Personally, if I was worried about my privacy, the government would be my main concern. In which case I'd try to stay away from government run databases as much as possible (including the "GOVERNMENT-RUN" no-call list you are on). I personally don't get any marketing calls, but if I did, I'd opt for one of those Zapper devices.

 

[bhsup]

I would be in complete favor of a "privacy amendment" to the Constitution. Something forbidding the transfer of information on people without the said person's express consent. Screw the information peddlers.