Mike Brinker

Google Privacy

This is rather interesting, give this a shot when you have some time. Go to google and type in your home phone number with the area code first and no 1 before it. Leave out any spaces. Make sure the number is not a cell phone number. Apparently it gives the name and street address of that homeowner, along with a choice to see a map of that address from either yahoo maps or mapquest. I think this raises an interesting privacy issue based on the ease of linking information on the internet. Read on for more.

I don't really think this would be that big of a deal if you couldn't just easily click on a link to see the map. But on the flip side, it would be a pain to have to go to Mapquest, cut and paste the address into the field, and click search. Hyperlinking on the net bridges this time and hassle for us so quickly and easily that it does sort of raise issues about privacy. If a map of a residence were that easy to attain from the local phone book in a phone booth, would the issue be any different? A street address is sort of like a map in itself, depending on the person involved and their knowledge of the area they are in. With the google address book, you also have the option of taking yourself out of it. Should google have asked us to be a part of it in the first place, however? I am curious to know if people who are not listed in the phone book are actually listed in Google's address book. Let me know if you find out, and what you think about all this. I am quite sure that this is nothing new, as there are plenty of phone number lookup programs and map programs on the net.