GOOGLE: An invasion of privacy? As bad as our government?

If you're concerned about your privacy, please read this......





Google has implemented a new feature which enables you to type a


telephone number into the search bar and hit enter and you'll be given


the person's name and address. If you then hit Map Quest, you'll get a


map to the person's house. Everyone should be aware of this! It's a


nationwide reverse telephone book. (If a child gives out his/her phone


number, someone can now look it up to find out where he/she lives.


The safety issues are obvious, and alarming.)








Note that you can have your phone number removed or blocked. I tried


my number and it came up along with the map quest and directions straight


to our house. I did fill out the removal form for myself, and encourage


all of you to do the same. Quite scary. Please look up your own number.





In order to test whether your phone number is mapped, go to Google at:


www.google.com %26lt;%26gt;http://www.google.com/%26gt; Type your phone number in the


search bar and hit enter.





If you want to BLOCK Google from divulging your private information, simply


click on your telephone number and then click on the Removal Form. Removal


takes 48 hours.





I received this email from a friend today and tried it myself.


She’s right, it works.





My post is in the politics section because this is where I happen to hang


Out and I thought I would share this with you. Some of you may have been


aware of this, but I was not.





Do you consider this to be an invasion of your privacy?

GOOGLE: An invasion of privacy? As bad as our government?
Yes, it is a concern. Most Americans do not realize that there are very few federal and state privacy statutes on the books. Otherwords, we really DO NOT enjoy the "right of privacy" at all. The internet has compounded the problem, without question! By the way, well done.
Reply:If you have an unlisted number then it will not show up.
Reply:It is an invasion. But the war is over and we lost. Google is but 1 of hundreds of outlets who have our "private" information.





In Arizona, we are close to becoming the third state to have our driver's license tied into a national I.D. database.
Reply:well I got 1/2 dozen ads for me to pay to get a reverse phone # check. mine didnt work on Google and mine has been since inception a private not listed in the phone book number.
Reply:Invasion of privacy? Not at all. This is all public information, and can be found in the local white pages.





Just because somebody made it easier to cross reference and locate doesn't make it an invasion of privacy.
Reply:I consider this an invasion of COMMON SENSE! Certainly privacy, but Google will not provide any protection, so why are they allowing private information to be available in this manner?!





Boycott Google?!
Reply:No I don't consider this an invasion of privacy. What you said Google does, has been going on for years. This is nothing new, it's now just a lot easier to do it.





If someone wants to find out information on a person it is not hard.
Reply:yes I do. Thanks for the info. I just filled out the form and will forward it to all my family and friends.
Reply:Wow! Thanks for the heads up! I just tried it, though, and it wouldn't go through. It worked on my dad's though. Thanks!
Reply:As pointed out usually only works on published number but sometimes when unpublished numbers are given out that's that. Heck in some places I can look up what you owe on your mortgage, what bank it's with all kinds of stuff. Privacy is an illusion now days.





I don't consider it odd that's this in political section because if you attempted to have goggle banned from doing this the whole freedom of speech and information crowd would wig out. Still a bit confused on how they can say yes to Google but no to national id cards but on the other hand demand Universal Health care where, surprise surprise surprise you'll need an ID card that lets the government know every time you go for an exam.
Reply:google doesn't take anything that isn't already available. you can't get a number that's restricted, etc.





the government gives you no choice.
Reply:Big Brother is here. Its called "Google"
Reply:Get rid of the land line.





It doesn't work on cell phones
Reply:Are you listed in the phonebook?





That is where the info is coming from, so it's not an invasion of privacy.





You can use www.whitepages.com to do the samething.
Reply:Of course this only works if your number is published, and therefore already publicly available. There have been ways to get this information on the net for years already.
Reply:Yes it is,try other search engines though. It might be more than just google
Reply:I think it is a MAJOR invasion of my privacy! What in the hell gives Google the right to give people a map to my house? NOTHING!





I find it both amusing and alarming that so many people whine and moan about the Patriot Act being such an invasion of privacy, but they remain oddly quiet about Google's invasion of our privacy. Frankly, I'd rather the govt was keeping tabs on me that just some freak off the streets.





Those of you saying to get an unlisted number - there is a BIG damned difference between having your phone number and getting a map to your house. You really have no problem with total strangers being able to get a map to your house?!? That's just astonishing.





A lot of people here have their numbers listed in the phone book, but NOT their addresses. I'm going to find one and see if I can get directions to their home.





DAMN! My number is supposedly unlisted, but there it is. Nice. Thanks, Google.
Reply:No it's not an invasion of privacy. You can get an unlisted number.





Love Jack
Reply:Freedom of Information Act. You can contact the post office and get someone's address, too. It isn't Google; it's the government. Google is just complying with the law. I would bet that the removal is temporary.





It sucks, but that's how it is.
Reply:This is not an invasion of pricacy, because this information was already out there - and with your consent (you can block your number going into the yellow/white pages). Nobody illegally broke into your house and took your private info so they could put that info on Google, so it's not an invasion of privacy. My number is not available on the yellow/white pages, and therefore it does not appear on Google maps.
Reply:AND Google is working with various state and local governmental agencies on the largest database of public records ever available.








Google helping open state public-record databases online


By Dibya Sarkar





The Associated Press





WASHINGTON — By providing free consulting and some software, Google Inc. is helping state governments make reams of public records that are now unavailable or hard to find online easily accessible to Web surfers.





The Internet search company hopes to eventually persuade federal agencies to employ the same tools — an effort that excites advocates of open government but worries some consumer privacy experts.





Google announced today that it has already partnered with four states — Arizona, California, Utah and Virginia — to remove technical barriers that had prevented its search engine, as well as those of Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc., from accessing tens of thousands of public records dealing with education, real estate, health care and the environment.
Reply:Thank you for the alert, I'm on it.
Reply:damn

yellow teeth