Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!ames!netsys!vector!telecom-gateway From: Miguel_Cruz@ub.cc.umich.edu Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Customer Name and Address Service Message-ID: Date: 23 Mar 89 08:43:42 GMT Sender: news@vector.UUCP Lines: 21 Approved: telecom-request@vector.uucp X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.uucp X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 108, message 6 of 9 Roger Critchow writes: "The phone number by itself cannot identify anyone" That is, of course, unless you live in Illinois or several other states which provide public CN/A (Customer Name and Address) services, much like a reverse directory bureau. If I live in Chicago and someone calls my line with CPID, I can know who they are in a matter of minutes by dialing 769-9600 (I think that's right.. it's something like that). And, at any rate, the telephone number identifies someone insofar as it doesn't identify anyone else; being unique, there is always a way to find it out. The wife-beater who gets a call from his wife-in-hiding can narrow her location down by the area code and prefix, then look through the phone book for a few likely establishments (shelters, etc.) and pin her down pretty quickly. MC [Moderator's Note: The number for CNA in Chicago is 312-796-9600. Locally it is a fifty cent call. They cover all of area code 312, and will give you the name and address of listed numbers, or nothing if the number is non-pub. PT]