[ql06] Re: PUBLIC: US "Do-Not Call" list -- Part II
- From: "Ken Campbell -- LAW'06" <2kc16@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <ql06@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2003 12:40:11 -0400
Sheldon writes:
>I think an interesting question in this case is whether my
>personal home telephone number can be considered private
>information...
That's a good question. What's the interest to that little piece of
intellectual property?
>If my number is included in the phone book does that mean I
>have consented to it being public?
Yes. I believe, in Ontario, that publishing your phone number is a
reasonable "consent to call."
And Bell always asks you, when you get a new number.
Also, Bell Canada charges something like $2/mo. for private listings! I
rather think that's backwards, but, then, who the hell would pay $2 to
have their number listed?
The "public phone book" (for residences) is largely a hold-over from a
distant era, when phones were special, high-tech pieces of equipment and
there were not too many ways to abuse a listed phone number. The private
sector policy laws on use of phone numbers is out of date -- and, being
out of date, encourages backwards industries like telephone
telemarketing.
I had Environics as a client back in 1997-99. I saw their methods.
People are not as leery of legitimate polling by phone -- but no one
wants a salesperson to call (hence that Congressional vote). But it was
still a sweat shop (the call centre, not the company Environics
Research, which was a wonderful place to work).
>Does it therefore follow that the only way to qualify
>for a do-not-call list is to remove my number from
>the public phone book?
I think there are "random dialers" still working out there. (Homer
Simpson had one once!)
I did a story back in 1993 or so about Dennis Fine (if I recall his name
correctly) who had a auto-dialer sales system that terrorized Toronto.
That is, a computer-hooked-to-a-phone randomly dialed numbers every
early eve. And, like most tech, screwed up, calling the same numbers
over. (My number has always been unlisted and I got the calls.)
If I recall, Fine ended up somehow getting shut down by the feds... I'll
have to look that up again sometime.
Ken.
--
The government of the United States is not in any
sense founded on the Christian religion.
-- George Washington
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