Comments for Intelius Says They'll Stop Selling Your Cellphone Number

Intelius Says They'll Stop Selling Your Cellphone Number

2008-02-02T04:34:41Z

"In response to consumer feedback," Inteliius says it will discontinue selling your private cellphone number in its searchable online database. Liz Murray, Communications Manager at Intelius in a press release that, besides trying to explain away their actions, also spent half of its time touting the company's Cell Phone Caller ID program, said, "As a company, we have strived to be at the forefront of innovation...We realize that in this instance we may have been ahead of our time." That's right, it was a notion from some future time where mankind has evolved into a more advanced being that doesn't care about its privacy. Despite the press release, as of this writing, the company is still advertising the cell phone directory on its site.

Intelius Listens to Customers; Pulls the Plug on Cell Phone Directory Service [Press Release]
PREVIOUSLY:
How Intelius Bought Your Cellphone Number From The Pizza Guy
Intelius Sells Your Unlisted And Unpublished Cellphone Number Online

Comment from ldavis480 on 2008-02-02

2008-02-02T22:52:25Z

This is a repeat of a post I made yesterday, but since we're talking about Intelius it's germane to the discussion:

Go to people.yahoo.com, type the first and last name of a person that doesn't exist (I searched for the name "Poopypants Nosuchpersonever").

It comes up with a link to www.intelius.com saying:
"Poopypants Nosuchpersonever Unlisted Phone Number & Address Found. - Information was found in Public Records, including Age, Address History and Family Members."

False or simply misleading advertising?

Comment from noasalira on 2008-02-02

2008-02-02T20:05:01Z

If they do, let's group up and pay for the full information and then show them the annoying and frightening thing it is to have strangers have such personal information about you.

Comment from noasalira on 2008-02-02

2008-02-02T20:04:06Z

Surely, this communications manager Liz Murray, and other executives don't have THEIR information in this database, and likely not those of their nearest and dearest.

Comment from mike on 2008-02-02

2008-02-02T16:27:15Z

As an FYI, you can hit *67 [Phone Number] to block your caller ID from going out. Some companies will even do it for you permanently for free. It shows up as "Restricted" on my cell phone and will show up as "Anonymous" of landline caller ID systems.

To add, some people can opt to block calls that block caller ID so use with discretion.

In the future, I'll give the pizza guys a fake number.

Comment from evslin on 2008-02-02

2008-02-02T11:37:09Z

@KJones: Not me, e-mailing 911 for help doesn't sound like much fun. ;)

Comment from KJones on 2008-02-02

2008-02-02T10:54:10Z

Maybe we should all switch to PDAs and email.

PDAs don't ring, spam can be blocked, and emails don't take long to enter.

I'd be willing to stop using cell phones if everything came as text messages.

Comment from ludwigk on 2008-02-02

2008-02-02T10:05:35Z

No, they are way, way, WAY BEHIND the TIMES. You see, years ago, we set up this nation registry Do Not Call List. Among other things, it meant that we really didn't want to get unsolicited calls, and just wanted people to leave us the hell alone. Intelius may not have gotten the memo on this one.

Comment from lovelygirl on 2008-02-02

2008-02-02T08:45:52Z

@Bohemian-- ITA! There should never be a time for people's personal information to be up for grabs. Things just get creepier by the day with all the "modern" technology we have.

Comment from DragonflyLotus on 2008-02-02

2008-02-02T07:42:12Z

So the same company that sells identity theft monitoring and has a mission "to empower consumers with information services for personal and family safety" will sell my complete address history, date of birth, and name of 10 family members to any stalker with internet access.

"Forefront of innovation" = we've figured out a new way to make money off the perpetrators and the victims.

Comment from bluewyvern on 2008-02-02

2008-02-02T07:11:53Z

It's not the directory they're advertising on the site now, it's the "reverse search" mentioned in the press release, the caller ID, where you enter a number and get a name rather than the other way around.

It looks like the directory service has actually been stopped.

Well, that's something of a relief. Still using stolen data, though, even if it can't be abused quite as badly any more.

Comment from chutch on 2008-02-02

2008-02-02T06:15:23Z

By "ahead of our time," they just mean soon enough Best Buy or other such companies will just try it eventually.

Comment from Imaginary_Friend on 2008-02-02

2008-02-02T05:35:28Z

"In response to threats of an FCC inquiry into the legality of its business practices," Intelius says it will discontinue selling your private cellphone number in its searchable online database. Liz Murray, Communications Manager at Intelius in a press release said that, "As a company, we have strived to be at the forefront of exploiting loopholes in US privacy laws for financial gain...We realize that in this instance we may have failed to adequately cover our collective ass."

She then sped off in her DeLorean, narrowly escaping capture by an armed mob of anti-tax militants and adulterous Senate committee members.

Comment from QuiteSpunky on 2008-02-02

2008-02-02T05:24:42Z

I'm looking for Sarah Connor's cell phone number.

Comment from SVreader on 2008-02-02

2008-02-02T05:19:20Z

MSNBC quotes Ben: [www.msnbc.msn.com]

That "ahead of our time" line is so obnoxious. Selling stolen stuff: an idea whose time has not come!

Comment from bohemian on 2008-02-01

2008-02-02T04:44:47Z

I don't think so. In twenty years if you think I am going to be ok with me having people selling my cell phone number I will go hit them with my walker.

Comment from ohnoes on 2008-02-01

2008-02-02T04:40:55Z

20 years from now - "Give me your cell number if you want to live."

Or should that be happening now somewhere...future's confusing.