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Thu 3 Apr, 2003 07:41 pm
This was in the news a few years ago, but Google has added to the search ease for those you may rather not have access to your personal information...
Am posting a new thread on this subject with Google Searches because it has popped up again as a hot topic in another posting forum I belong to. Here is the important part: with the US patriot act and the spread of telemarketing and junk mail - google has now drastically reduced privacy for individuals! see this quote from a google page I found only when I asked google to remove my personal address and telephone number!!!!Quote:Google has added the convenience of US street address and phone number lookup to the information we provide through our search box. You'll see publicly listed phone numbers and addresses at the top of results pages for searches that contain specific kinds of keywords.
To find listings for a US business, type the business name into the Google search box, along with the city and state. Or type the business name and zip code. Entering the phone number with area code will also return a complete business listing.
To find listings for a US residence, type any of the following combinations into the Google search box:
first name (or first initial), last name, city (state is optional)
first name (or first initial), last name, state
first name (or first initial), last name, area code
first name (or first initial), last name, zip code
phone number, including area code
last name, city, state
last name, zip code
If your query results in business and residential listings, both categories will be listed for your convenience.
To have your residential or business phone and address information removed from the Google PhoneBook, click here.
I ran all the searches on a friend of mine who would rather not have this information so public, and every single search found her name, address and phone number!
Just noticed that another a2k member voted in the poll - but since it was the opposite of my vote, and there were ONLY 2 votes so far, I am most interested in hearing the comments of people who feel differently than I as well as those of similar mind. Please comment if possible and thanks!
i hardly know what to say actually, there is certainly a myth in the US that such a thing as privacy exists. It is my understanding that in the UK there are far more restrictive regulations about privacy but it seems that here corporate/government institutions know more about me than I do.
The problem is larger than google - it's more the people\business that post the information in an unsecure area in my opinion. IMO don't blame Google.
On these searches the reality is that they search the web with spiders\worms (something like that) put info in a index and link back to it. There's terabytes of stuff stored out there on this global massive thing we call the net. If you recall I was talking about the Mrs when I found her name out there, they removed her from the file but the indexes still hold her name out there in cyberspace.
Interesting points!
I am thinking that a for-profit business like Google is NOT getting the information 'free' - in fact, they pay a third-party research firm to supply the information and then the Google labs churn out the search formulas. (This is direct information from Google, BTW.)
The information is primarily coming from public documents such as telephone books, tax records, property documents, etc. People who are VERY careful with their private phone numbers and addresses are being publicized in many places without their knowlege. I am not listed (in this particular search within Google) ONLY because I use a cellphone number that is private. There also seems to be a higher correlation of home ownership and telephone numbers associated to that address.
If I was a telemarketer or smart cookie advertising exec I would put my random number generating programs to work and come up with a free list of thousands of "good" addresses to exploit...
My opinion: Privacy is a thing of the past. I hate the fact that it is, but unless you are willing to go to extremes -- chances are you will not be able to protect your personal privacy from this point on.
I have personal need to find something of value in everthing that happens in or around my life. I have thought this thing over for several hours now -- and I'm stumped. Can't think of the silver lining -- if there is one.
If anyone else comes up with a candidate for "what is good about this" please share it. In the meantime, I'll keep thinking.
Google provides an indexing service. Google disseminates information only by providing access to it and a way to find it. Google is not the entity that is divulging anyone's addresses or other information.
Goodness,did Bush Sr. say that?
Proof that one does not need any sort of intellect to become the President of the U.S.of A.
I did a Google search yesterday and guess what? I found my name and a post that I had put on A2K.
As far as phone #s are concerned, you have to have a listed phone. Wait till Google starts posting your E-mail address!!
Is Google providing this kind of info for people with unlisted numbers? If it's info that's already available in phone books, then I can't get too alarmed. Could someone clarify this point?
Are you listed on Google?
A few years ago, I found my whole class listed on Google. No one knows how it ended up there.
New Haven, not sure what you mean re am I listed in Google. If I enter my name, there are references to things I've written that exist on the web. And now, I just typed my phone number and, yes, it found my name and address. But I'm listed in the book, so I'm not too surprised.
In other words, it seems as though references to me that could be found through other means can be found via Google. Should I be alarmed? I don't think so...
Although the breadth of Google is greater, long before the Internet existed you could go to just about any library and find national and international phone books, reverse phone books, and addresses on microfiche that could provide you with the same information.
Google does not create content, Google indexes content. If your class was "listed" on Google it means Google found something on the internet and added it to it's index. The responsibility of the perceived breach of privacy rests with the persons responsible for putting the information there. Even though Google has no responsibility for the divulging of the information they will usually respond to reasonable requests to remobe a page from their listings.
The seach engine that I use searches all these:
MSN Teoma AltaVista Openfind Northern Light Fast WISEnut SearchEdu Open Directory Thunderstone Yahoo Google Yahoo
I never said Google is disinterested, simply that GOOGLE DOES NOT CREATE CONTENT. It indexes content that has already been created and already divulged. Because of their visibility many complain about Google while ignoring that they are not responsible for divulging information.
Look, Google lists only public numbers and even if your number is already divulged elsewhere and you are worried about Google you can just
click here to ask them to remove it.
I really don't think I'm splitting hairs, I just think that much of the paranoia about privacy and Google is unwarranted. If you don't want a publicly listed number simply don't list it. If you do not prevent it from being publically listed yet still don't like the idea of Google indexing the public records simply ask them not to.
Once again, the link to Google's page to request removal from their index.
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