Just wait until the telemarketers get the lists.
Posted on 05/14/2004 11:39:35 PM PDT by Samwise
Most people say they believe their cell phone numbers should be private and confidential. However, those numbers could soon be listed, just like your home phone number.
"What the phone companies want to do is to put everybody's cell phone number in a directory so that anyone can call you at any time unless you pay your cell phone company to unlist your cell phone number," Rep. Edward Markey, of Massachusetts, told WCAU-TV in Philadelphia.
Markey has introduced a law called the "Wireless 411 Privacy Bill." It has three main points:
Existing phone subscribers would have to opt in, which means they have to agree to being listed.
New subscribers could opt out and say no to being listed.
No fees could be charged to anyone for being unlisted.
The Cellular Telephone and Internet Association says a privacy bill is unnecessary.
"All the carriers participating in the directory have told CTIA that they will only be listing consumers on an opt-in basis. That means consumers will have to choose to be listed. They'll have to actively do something to be listed," said Travis Larson, of the CTIA.
"It's only a promise, and they can change their mind at any time if they think they can make money off of listing your number," Markey explained.
Cell phone contracts give the companies total control over directory listings.
AT&T's contract, for example, says it can use your name, address and mobile phone number for any lawful purpose. T-Mobile's contract says that unless subscribers pay a fee, it can list the name, address and number in a public directory.
But the cell phone industry insists it won't list customers who don't want to be listed.
"We don't want our consumers upset with us because they find that their number is listed without their permission," Larson said.
"The cell phone companies say they don't want to disclose everyone's cell phone number, but they reserve the right to create a 411 cell phone directory. We need a law," Markey said.
The Consumer Alert bottom line is if you don't like the idea of a cell phone 411 directory, you call or e-mail your lawmakers.
RIDICULOUS
At least it has caller ID.
I'll definitely be writing my lawmakers about this one!
In the not too distant future I think most phones are going to be cell phones, the land-line phone will eventually become a relic, except for businesses with multiple lines.
At that point we're going to need directories. I don't really see what the big deal is here. In fact, it's already quite annoying that there is no way to look up someone's cell phone number.
Remember answering machines? When they first got very popular people hated them, and thought having one was a great sign of self-importance. I remember my brother making a joke about having a message that answered "I'm dead, but the machine is still working". Just a few years later, people would get very annoying if you DIDN'T have an answering machine.
Technologically, we advance. Morally, we're still back in the garden, two bites into the apple.
Just wait until the telemarketers get the lists.
Got mine at Cellular One...$30 up front...no ID, free phone and 100 minutes...pay as you go minutes... reasonable rates.
That way the government MK Ultra agents in the black helicopters can't find me while I'm taking pictures of the chemtrails.
END THE MATRIX.
Excellent points and I concur with you. Many people have already converted to cell phones ONLY and, if you need to call them and don't have their cell number immediately available, there's no way to call.
Point in case - my sister (who lives in another state) has disconnected all of her land lines and ONLY has cell phones. I need to call her and can't get a listing because she has no land line to her house. Bottom line, I have no way to contact her.
A cell phone directory is, IMO, NOT a bad thing and is the natural result of the direction we arew currently taking. I also agree that in the next 30 - 50 years, virtually no one will be using landlines. We like the freedom that cell phones provide.
That may be the only benefit to this legislation, other than the fact Markey needs something with his name on it. To me it's like the phone company wanting to publish customer e-mail addresses in the phone book for a nominal fee. Idiotic.
Hello America, we have an obsession here. Don't own a cell or a cordless and would throw my landline down the latrine if the old lady let me.
Its already started here in florida got a call from a cable company on my cell phone,I gave her a few choice words and hung up. Have phone number to file charges with though.
Because some people still like their privacy, whatever little is left, you call that morally backwards?
Why wouldn't the existing Fed Do Not Call list work for a cell number? Aren't cell numbers patterned like land lines: xxx-xxx-xxxx?
A bit too much information there...
"Because some people still like their privacy...you call that morally backwards?"
No, no, that's not what I meant. I only meant that technology changes, but people don't.
I'm sure there will be a way to have an unlisted cell phone number, just like there is a way to have an unlisted regular number.
But I had actually already thought that it might be a smart business idea to offer paid listing of cell phone numbers, esp. since there are so many different carriers, and you can't locate a cell phone owner by location.
Existing phone subscribers would have to opt in, which means they have to agree to being listed.
New subscribers could opt out and say no to being listed.
No fees could be charged to anyone for being unlisted.
Sounds good to me.
I no longer have a land line. If I receive a call on my cell I know it’s worth answering.
In fact, it's already quite annoying that there is no way to look up someone's cell phone number.
If they wanted you to have their number they would have given it to you.
Point in case - my sister (who lives in another state) has disconnected all of her land lines and ONLY has cell phones. I need to call her and can't get a listing because she has no land line to her house. Bottom line, I have no way to contact her.
No way? No Email or snail mail address?
If she hasn’t given you her number, maybe has a reason.
I had a similar experience in the ladies room. The gal in the next stall said "hey" so I said "hey". Then she asked "what are you doin'?" Fortunatly, I realized she was on the phone before I answered.
Exactly!
I actually had someone who I really don't like tell me that he tried to call me, but my telephone number had been disconnected, and he didn't have my new number. I told him that there was a reason for that.
I also got tired of having my boss give out my home telephone number to some of his clients who might need after hours computer help. The company had a procedure, and there were techs, including myself, who rotated being "on-call." But his clients were "special," and needed special treatment. Because of him, I had to have my phone number unlisted and changed! And when he demanded to know what my home phone number was, I refused to give it to him.
Later, when I had my land line home phone disconnected, he demanded to know what my cell phone number was. This is my personal cell phone, even though I've also got a company issued phone. I told him that he was free to give out the company's phone number, but that he was not going to get mine, unless he started paying the bill.
Mark
Not sure I agree with your premise. Your sister doesn't share her phone number with you, yet you "have" to contact her. Well, there's mail, Western Union, FedEx, etc. If it's life and death, the local police or sheriff will be happy to drop off a message. Doesn't mean everyone else in the country has to be listed in a directory or pay to opt-out.
I wonder: If I were to get listed in a directory against my wishes, would I still have to pay for incoming minutes?
I guess the free-market approach to this would be to switch carriers to a service that doesn't charge to opt out, and does provide free incoming minutes. One advantage to number portability.
send a snailmail requesting her number.
It does make for peaceful evenings and weekends.
I am not sure what you mean by that. I think people have changed, especially per their expectations, since Eve bit the apple. You used to have a reasonable expectation of privacy. Now, it's, "What's your cell phone/fax/e-mail?" "How can we get in touch with at any given moment?". It's kind of sad that we can't go very long any more in our own heads. Now we have to have marketers bothering us all the time?
I'm sure there will be a way to have an unlisted cell phone number, just like there is a way to have an unlisted regular number.
I think the opt-out should be the default and if you want it listed you should pay. I think there are several differences. The most important being the fact that if some marketer calls you, you have to pay charges on your cell phone.
If you don't have a cell number, write a letter.
Just think, you're going to be paying for those incoming telemarketer calls which could be how many/day...No Thanks!, we've got to stop our cell phone #'s from being released/published anywhere.
"The most important being the fact that if some marketer calls you, you have to pay charges on your cell phone."
That is obviously a problem.
If the caller doesn't have or use a cell phone, how is he billed? 
I work in the security field. I'm sorry to report that in a matter of a few minutes, I can (for a fee, but not a lot) obtain the phone number of any Freeper out there. And that includes cell phones and all unlisted numbers. It's done all the time, through hundreds of Internet companies that offer this service. It's easy, and I don't think anyone can stop it. Sorry, but privacy really does not exist at this moment.
Good. I disconnected my answering machine years ago. I hated coming home to that flahing light, just one more chore in an already busy life. If it is important, they will call back.
Not at all. I use these tools in my business because they work, and with them we catch some very bad people. I don't like the fact that they may invade the privacy of innocent people, but they are there and I take advantage of them in my line of work. Most of these Internet-based services are located out of U.S. jurisdiction by the way. Like Russia, "off-shore" island nations, etc.
:^(
I never said that my sister didn't share her cell phone number with me. She has, I misplaced it. There is no directory service I can call to get her number. It's not an emergency, so I can't send the police out and FedEx is a little pricey to send a message that asks for her cell phone number.
There is precedence for a directory service for cell phones. Back in the early days of phone service, directories listed subscribers of only a particular phone service provider. So, for example, if you got your phone service from Al's phone network, you would be listed ONLY in the directory of Al's subscribers. If you wanted a phone number and didn't know the service provider for the person you were trying to call, you were SOL.
When cell phone service is a ubiquitous service in this country, many naysayers on this thread will be changing their position.
Dear Former Cell-Phone Provider,
Since you have deemed it fit to publicly list my number be advised that I have just gone over to your competition who isn't doing so. Oh, and by the way, I'm not converting the number and you might want to close my account soonest because anyone who calls, including all those wrong numbers, will hear my message explaining why I quit your greedy service after so many years.
Former "Blue" (highest-rated) Customer
"At least it has caller ID"
Until the phone companies decide to make that an extra charge feature.
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