Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!cunixf.cc.columbia.edu!cs.columbia.edu!abrams From: abrams@cs.columbia.edu (Steven Abrams) Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk Subject: Re: Phone privacy question. Message-ID: Date: 26 Dec 90 03:41:22 GMT References: <9.security.eff@pro-angmar> <1990Dec25.204943.2722@rfengr.com> Sender: news@cs.columbia.edu (The Daily News) Organization: Columbia University Department of Computer Science Lines: 31 In-Reply-To: rfarris@rfengr.com's message of 25 Dec 90 20:49:43 GMT In article <1990Dec25.204943.2722@rfengr.com> rfarris@rfengr.com (Rick Farris) writes: [About obtaining the phone number of a caller to a commercial] [pay-by-minute 900 type phone call] Here in PacBell territory calling line id won't start up until October of 1991, but I'm already training myself to *never* dial out on my private line. Unfortunately, when one dials a 900, 800, etc... type phone number (particularly the 900 numbers) the caller data is available to the owner of the line (on a monthly basis) and this has nothing to do with Caller ID. It is used as part of the billing information by MCI. They obviously know who makes the cal (otherwise they can't bill you). Also, the service provider wants to have the list of callers to be sure that they get their fair share of income. It also allows them to do direct marketing using the phone numbers of these people. Even if you block Caller ID from your phone (if that option becomes available) you won't be able to block service providers from knowing who their customers are with these 900 phone numbers. ~~~Steve -- /************************************************* * *Steven Abrams abrams@cs.columbia.edu * **************************************************/ #include #include