Google and your phone number - just a heads up!

[BFJen]

A friend sent me this info in an e-mail - it's getting scary how easy it is for people to get your information these days!

Google has implemented a new feature which enables you to type a telephone number into the search bar, hit enter, and you will be given the person's name and address. If you then hit MapQuest, you will 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 did come up, I clicked map and Mapquest gave directions directly to the house. Quite scary. Please look up your own number. In order to test whether your phone number is mapped, go to: www.google.com

Type your phone number in the search bar (i.e. 555-555-1212) and hit
enter.

If you want to B L O C K Google from divulging your private information, simply click on your telephone number and then click on the
Removal Form. Removal takes 48 hours.

[SCUBAbe]

This has been around for years.

[BFJen]

I had no idea -

[Skywaygrl]

I just removed my number.

Thank you

[SCUBAbe]

Originally Posted by BFJen

I had no idea -

yeah, it freaked me out when I first saw it. I think it was through another search engine though.

You can find just about anything on the internet. I didn't know my neighbors last name or phone number. I found it all on the internet. I needed to get in touch with them when their dogs got out.

[sailerm]

most public info is available easily on line. An example. I can look at public records on line and tell you exactly who owns every house on my block, if they live in the house or rent it out. When they bought it, how much they payed. You can do that for cars to with the vin number which you can see through the windshield. And some of us with unusual names can be easily found by just typing the name into Googles search bar. Often times adress and phone with be listed.

The days of "privacy" are long gone.

[krystledm]

thanks for the heads up, i removed us

[NeverNeverland]

Of course, it's a whole lot quicker and easier to google it than to check the public records.

[I Heart Disneyland]

I thought it was a joke email at first, but, NOPE...it came up! Scary crap!

[Stitchy]

computer illiterate me can't find it.....can someone post a link to the actual site?

[elly]

Originally Posted by Stitchy-poo

computer illiterate me can't find it.....can someone post a link to the actual site?

just go to www.google.com and enter your phone number

[Olympicnut]

It's not scary, you just have listed numbers is all. If it's unlisted you aren't going to see anything. It isn't any scarier than going to the trouble of looking up a number in the Yellow Pages (if it's listed). The information is there regardless.

I went though my list of friends and family that I know have unlisted numbers and none of them came up (my mother included).

[Brain Toad]

It seems it just takes whatever information you submitted to a phonebook company, no new information, google isn't using anything fancy here. Nothing worrying about my phone number in there, as my parents submitted minimal information to the phone books (my dad's first and middle initial, last name, and city of residence).

Though my phone number then return a result for some "collectible dealers" database that had information on my dads business, but it was old info and was reporting our home address instead of the PO Box.

[disneymeimei]

Jen ~ Thank you. I was not aware of this and have had us removed. Thanks again you did a good thing by sharing.

[wolfy]

I didn't show up anywhere......so no problem.