Comments on: Protecting cell phone users' privacy

Cell phone records are for sale, and some people want mobile operators to do more to protect sensitive customer information.

[Rita McKee]

Selling of personal data from ANY source

If the Supreme Court would make a clear blanket ruling confirming the right to privacy, laws covering each and every infraction would not be necessary.

Lawmakers could also separately pass legislation stating that every American has sole and exclusive property of their personal information, and setting the punishment bar high for those who infringe upon that property.

[DougDbug]

Supreme court????

With the recent and upcoming changes to the court, I wouldn't expect the court to be "making up" any more new privacy laws.

Your second comment is more on target. It's the legislature?s job to enact laws, and they can respond more quickly to the will of the people. And, it?s much easier for the legislative branch to reverse a mistake than it is to reverse a bad supreme court precedent.

[zaznet]

Information has too much value

There is too much value in the information, and some is used for legitimate purposes. It is the fraudulent use that needs to be stopped, not all use of personal information.

[Seaspray0]

Rules are never followed

If you think that the rules would be followed, think again. Your social security number was originally designated that the only people who have the right to aquire it were government agencies, financial institutions that dealt with providing you income (interest), and your employer. Any request for your number is supposed to be accompanied by a written document stating the purpose and intended use of your number. Nobody else has the right to ask you for your social security number as a means of identification.

Today, just about everyone wants your social security number. Just about every bank will refuse to open a checking account without it even though no interest is involved. Almost every hospital form requests your social security number. Try and get a credit card without disclosing your social security number, it won't happen. Many businesses these days will refuse to do business with you unless you provide your social security number even though they have no legal right to even ask for it. The rules ARE NOT being followed as it is.

[CharlesRovira]

If I get a cold call on my cell phone,

I intend to sue my provider.

I pay for every call. I don't want to have to pay for some idiot trying to sell me hemmorhoid cream.

I'd rather avoid getting reamed in the first place. The people who have my cell phone number are the people I WANT to have my cell phone number.

The others can leave me alone.

[zaznet]

Not what this is about...

They would need information about you already. Name, cell #, maybe even the carrier you use.

[MasqueNumber]

get a Masque Number...

I so totally agree with you I created that service, to get rid of nuisance calls.
Check it out, I'm sure you'll like it!

[DougDbug]

How about a "sting operation"

It would be really easy for the phone companies to set-up a ?sting operation? to find out who?s leaking the information? if they really want to. Fire a few employees, terminate a few contracts / contractors, make some security fixes, and these abuses would drop way off.

[zaznet]

Too costly.

It would be too costly for most operators to do such an operation though. This won't happen until cell phone owners sue their carriers for breach of contract. They have to see that not doing something costs more than doing something.

If you doubt that is how the business world works, look at the recent mine explosion in WV. The company didn't do anything to fix problems because it cost more to comply than to just leave it alone. Now they are going to be hurting with some law suites as well as fines from the government. The sad part is those miners who were not killed will likely end up out of work.

[ballssalty]

IT ALREADY IS A CRIME - You don't need new legislation!

They obtained the information through fraud. That is a crime. What new legislation is needed? They should easily be able to shut them down and prosecute.

[MasqueNumber]

You should get a Masque Number...

That way your calls are protected away from your operator.
And since you can identify who calls you by "calling-id" (the number used to call you), you are able to trace back to the people you gave your Masque Number to, in case it gets compromised by nuisance calls or identity theft.
You can check the call records of your Masque Number online with your password, and that's all.

http://www.masquenumber.com

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