Mobile phone directory to launch

Mobile phone directory to launch

news.bbc.co.uk

Page last updated at 14:12 GMT, Tuesday, 9 June 2009 15:12 UK
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Mobile phone directory to launch
Dominic Laurie
Working Lunch

Watch Working Lunch's report, above

A company will begin offering a directory service from next week that allows people to find the mobile phone numbers of people they don't know.

Run by 118800, it will cost £1 and use databases of numbers it said are freely available for purchase and in the public domain.

Anyone searching for a number can type the name and location of the person into the 118800 website.

(visit the link for the full news article)

This worries me no end.

I used to rest easy knowing that my mobile number would only go to friends and the like.

I do not want it open season.

This will allow more people to snoop around in other's lives and that happens enough as it is.

I urge all UK ATS'ers to text a capital E to 118800 as soon as possible - as I have just heard that it will remove you from the database.

I will try to get confirmation on this.

Peace,

MGGG

news.bbc.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

Hello telemarketers. I knew it was only a matter of time. When this finally makes its way to the US, I will be very upset. Telemarketers are bad enough in general, combine it with working night shift and they are the spawn of the devil.

Here's a link to their site - it's the confirmation that texting 'E' will remiove details.

Could a child’s mobile be in your directory? Our policy is not to include anyone in the directory who isn’t 18 years of age. However where a parent has given their mobile phone to a child to use, we are unable to identify this unless the parent informs us. To make sure your child cannot be contacted via our service, simply text the letter E to 118 800 from your child’s mobile phone or call us on 0800 138 6263. Please allow up to 4 weeks for this to take effect.

I'm not a child, but don't want to be in there, so I've just done it.

Karlhungis - you're right - there are telemarketers rubbing their hands with glee right now here in the UK...


Here's the link.

www.118800.co.uk...



Peace,

MGGG

reply to post by machinegun_go_go


Am I the only one who is suspicious of their method of removal? My thinking is What if I am not on their list, but when I text them the E it confirms my number and adds me to the list? It sucks being distrustful and paranoid.

reply to post by Karlhungis


You know what, my friend? Right after texting it I thought exactly the same thing.

We know we are paranoid but somethings you just think 'hmmmmmm, am I really that paranoid?'

Fair point though, and as I said, it did cross my mind too.

Peace,

MGGG

I would be careful of texting the E to that number.
There is some scams that get you to do that then you get billed alot of money.
Can you verify that texting E is legitimate?

This has been all over the mainstream TV news. I am convinced it is not a scam in that way.

If I had any doubt, I wouldn't have posted it.

This is a heads up to all privacy minded ATS folk.

This shouldn't be allowed. One of the benefits of a mobile phone as opposed to a lind line was that it was difficult to find out the number.

Anyway, I've done it, so if it turns out to be a scam, I'll be sure to let you know. Count on it...

MGGG

time to go back to pagers people!

I really start to wonder about alien intervention into humans as a species.....

I mean, how is it , that an animal......as STUPID as we are has made it THIS far?

We repeat history, we dont learn from our mistakes.......

Go pull up you tube and theres a plethora of videos of people that should be nominated for the darwin awards......

People dont use lan lines anymore cause cells are more convenient AND telemarketers and bill collectors dont have our number........

WAIT I KNOW! LETS PUBLISH OUR CELL NUMBERS! YA! [facepalm]



[edit on 10-6-2009 by ManBehindTheMask]

ive just txt E as well to the number given..its says it can take up to 4weeks to do.isnt that a bit odd? why would they give you the thing to opt out a week before it goes live and then say it take 4 weeks to take effect.i hope my number isnt there for 4weeks

reply to post by CaptainCaveMan


it dose say to do that on there web site

reply to post by rikgrimsby


Thats a very good point, my friend. I'm hoping that by letting them know prior to the service going live then we can avoid being on there all together.

This stinks to high heaven and just reinforces the fact that we have no privacy in the UK anymore.

From a professional basis - this is very worrying as potentially disgruntled students would be able to get mobile phone numbers of myself and colleagues.

Whilst I'm thinking that one - better give them a heads up - assuming they will take me seriously.

Peace,

MGGG

That is not good.

IMO, you should not be charged money to have your private details removed from a database that you have not consented to. The "ticking of a box during a transaction" means little to me....they should inclue far more detail as to where exactly your details go.

They should ask permission for your number to be on this database by doing exactly that, writing to you and asking.

I know what, lets find out the home phone number and address of the guy setting this up. We could post it on the net and charge him £1 to remove it.

See how he likes it.



CX.

Hi - this was mentioned this morning on BBC breakfast news and the representative from the company mentioned that you can also opt out via email, this may be better if you have a 'junk' email address to keep them at arms length with also.

Regards

Berth

reply to post by badBERTHA


Very good call...

Would you happen to know how to go about that cause it could be useful to have that at hand for members.

Peace,

MGGG

This is not good. People who have a problem with you could get your number & start to get harassed by them

reply to post by Sth Hemisphere


Your right, this is going to be abused big time. Stalkers, nieghbours, wind up merchants, local idiots who are out to cause grief, people trying to stir up between relationships etc etc... the list is endless.

Originally posted by machinegun_go_go
From a professional basis - this is very worrying as potentially disgruntled students would be able to get mobile phone numbers of myself and colleagues.

You should talk to your service provider, I can't see the directory service being all that helpful - they may remove your details from thrir copy of the data, but there will be others jumping on this band wagon soon.

About 7 or 8 years ago I worked for a mobile company, a lot of the time I would just register pay as you go handsets, taking the details and just being a robot... One of the questions even back then was 'would you like your number to be made available for other people to find' - which was usually followed with a quick 'although no such service exists right now!'

Most people I asked just said yhea, quite a lot of the time the operator skipped the question but if you were getting monitored it was just added to the list of things the big bad supervisor would have to justify his position with.

A quick call to the customer services should do it - maybe there is also an online option, but good luck finding it.