Just come across this.

http://www.118800.co.uk/index.html

Which I believe will be up and running soon. I was wondering what others particually SilentCallsVictim, NGMsGhost and Dave thinks about this service.

To me I am a bit suspicious.

I have just seen the set up on the news.   If I want your mobile number, I ring 118800 and give your name and address (I wonder why I do not write to you for it).   The directory contact you and say that a business or person wants your number and you have to give the ok for them to pass it on (I doubt if many are going to do that).   If that works ( and I see that it will not and the number will be given out irrespectively) it should be ok rather like Facebook.


If you give a name and a town (ie do not know the address) I am not sure what happens

I do not _ever_ give my permission to any company that has my details to share this information with any other organisation.

As this company has my personal information there has been a breach of Data Protection.

I contacted the company to have them remove my data which they hold ilegally and they refuse to cease using this data immediately. They will not confirm that they have complied with my request to remove all my mobile numbers.

I have no relationship with this company and they do not have my express or implied consent to hold my information. (I assume this is probably true of millions of other citizens and this needs to be investigated.)


It took over 40 phone calls and 2 hours to get through to talk to someone and then they tell me that they are just sub-contracted to run the service, and they had been briefed that they would be receiving a lot of flak over this.

If they are that confident that the service is useful and commercially viable, why do they use an opt-in policy, instead of buying dodgy lists.

Cheers, Des.

From their FAQs


Can I be ex-directory with 118 800?

You can become ex-directory by texting the letter ‘E’ to 118800 from the mobile phone you want to be made ex-directory or you can call us on 0800 138 6263. Standard network charges apply. The first time 118 800 contacts you you will be sent an SMS reminding you about how to become ex-directory. Please allow up to 4 weeks for your ex-directory request to take effect.

Barbara wrote on Jun 11^th, 2009 at 2:31pm:


I think it stands to reason that if you text them to go ex-directory and they don't already know the number you're texting from, then even if they add your number to their database they still don't know who you are, so it'd be impossible for them to give it out on an enquiry.

Having been invited to comment, I will offer some thoughts, although I have not studied this issue in any depth.

This seems to be an attempt to address the problem caused by the fact that there has never been any proper arrangements for the assembly of a proper directory database of mobile numbers, with proper procedures to cover opting in or out.

Firstly, I address the "privacy" issues raised by this service.

I personally have my name, address and (main landline) telephone number listed in the normal telephone directory. I see no reason why this information should not be publicly available, despite the fact that some banks are content to steal my identity by granting it to anyone who accesses this information.

Being engaged in society I have no problem with the basic fact that I receive unsolicited communications. These are sometimes welcome, even though they are mostly worthless. I am able to apply filtering mechanisms for my convenience and do so. I nonetheless fully respect the right of anyone (individual or corporate) who wishes to opt out from their contact information being available in certain forms.

The ICO (which is not a government body, contrary to the false statement on the 118800 website) enforces regulations designed to protect the right to privacy. Although its enforcement policies are hopelessly weak, as they are based on a consumerist approach, I find its principles of what is acceptable to be generally sound.

As ever, the devil is doubtless in the detail of how the information is collected and used. If I became aware of a problem I would look into this very carefully and take up the issues with the ICO.

Secondly, from the perspective of the service user.

PhonePayPlus is a self-regulatory body. To my mind any such body has an inherent conflict of interest which must make its role as a regulator an alternative to, not a means of implementing, statutory regulation.

Excessive advertising has happily communicated the fact that 118 numbers belong to commercial services, rather than being inclusive with one's telephone service (like printed directories). I would doubt that anyone would contact 118 800 without being aware of the fact that they were entering into a commercial arrangement and so the principle of caveat emptor must apply. Any misrepresentation that is found would be a matter for Ofcom (via PhonePayPlus) or Trading Standards.

A quick response to the concern about a request to be ex-directory causing details to be added. As with the TPS, there is no confirmation of the authority to add the number to the list. An ex-directory request could only be used to add to the directory if the name and address were already held as they do not need to be supplied. Furthermore, one could make such a request for any number. It is however likely that measures are in place to detect mass requests for every number in a range. (When BT started passing on TPS registrations with the launch of its BT Privacy service, there were allegations that it was registering numbers without request, simply to protect its existing customers from being recruited by telephone by its competitors - that was its commercial justification for BT Privacy.)

I hope these comments are of interest to members.

Is it possible for individuals to find out if they are listed without having to incur any charges?

Also, if you request your number be removed, then what happens if it is 'sold' to them in another database? In order not to list your number ever again, they will have to keep your number (on another list).

So, if you don't want to be listed, your data (mobile phone number) must be stored with them. What if you don't want them to have that? They might add your number to the 'directory'.

tadg wrote on Jun 20^th, 2009 at 12:53pm:

The same issue crops up with companies holding our data in general. You request your address to be removed from a particular company's marketing list.

Does that company retain your address on another list to screen it against future lists of contact details it obtains?

tadg wrote on Jun 20^th, 2009 at 12:53pm:

Is this allowed for due to the reasons I've highlighted? In this case, would they be limited to storing the mobile telephone number only, with no information as to whose it is?