Remove Phone Listing

After my last post, it occurred to me that many sites ask for your email address as a login. This becomes your user name and/or profile name. It occurred to me that if using your handle would be that visible, the email as profile would also be. And indeed it was. Glad I use a disposable email address for that...

The irony for me in the current situation is how for years (the 90s in particular) I tried to GET my contact information into those places - as a resource for people to get a hold of me (it seemed like I was never correctly listed in the phone book and I was frustrated at losing track of people)- and yet most times that I did an internet search of my name, it was tortuously complicated to get down to the info. I STILL have a much smaller internet footprint and presence than I would like.
Mind you, stealing MY identity would probably do ME more good than the thief. LOL

When I'm forced to provide a phone number, I enter "908-689-0000", which provides the correct area code and exchange (enough, for example, to verify the town I live in) but withholds the last four digits, preventing anyone from calling.

Frankly, I don't know why businesses insist upon knowing my phone number anyway; too many telemarketers calling our answering machine (and hanging up when they hear the outgoing message) as it is. Sheesh!

Thank you so much for the information! It is very much appreciated. -Eric T.

if you don't have any thing in your phone book then no body will find you when they need it . like your family members or close friends that could be a important emergency.

Try this: add or subtract a digit from the last digit of your phone number, then call it. For example, if it's 123-4567, call 123-4568. If there's no person at that number (you get a recording), make that your phone alias.

David, above, is right about also having a disposable email address too. Note: Gmail with Google has a privacy waiver. They can scan your e-mails and give info to marketers. No kidding!

EDITOR'S NOTE: What if someone else gets that phone number tomorrow? Bad idea... And please give a source for your claim that Google scans emails and gives personal info to marketers. I've used Gmail for three years and have never seen or heard anything about a privacy waiver.

Find out all you never wanted to know about Gmail from the Electronic Privacy Information Center. (www.epic.org/privacy/gmail/faq.html)

EDITOR'S NOTE: I see that document hasn't been updated in 3+ years. Many of the links don't work, either. It would be nice to have an up-to-date analysis.

As for EPIC's assertion that "Gmail violates the privacy rights of non-subscribers" by means of "content extraction performed on their e-mail" I don't think that really flies.

According to the Gmail privacy FAQ, "Google computers scan the text of Gmail messages in order to filter spam and detect viruses, just as all major webmail services do. Google also uses this scanning technology to deliver targeted text ads and other related information. The process is completely automated and involves no humans."

Advertisers only see aggregated non-personal information such as the number of times one of their ads was clicked. Google does not sell, rent or otherwise share personal information with any third parties.

I went to infospace and all the places listed in your article.
I found my name and too much information, BUT there was NO place at the right of the name to update or remove my information, also no contact area either. Once there was one central location that would remove your name from all spaces, is it no longer available?

EDITOR'S NOTE: Infospace has made it harder... See http://infospace.intelius.com/optout.php

I am begining the long process of removing my info from the net. an wondering if there is a list similar to the do not call list for telemarketers? I was suprised when a listing had all my info, I am now in the process of obtaining a p.o box as well so all my mail goes there.

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you mean a "do not email" registry, there is no such thing on a national level in the USA. Some states have attempted this, but even the FTC says it's not a feasible idea.

Thanks, Bob, for an invaluable resource. There is yet another directory website that lists my private info, but I don't see it on your how-to-remove list. That one is:
People Lookup. I would really appreciate knowing how to get my info off of there, too.

EDITOR'S NOTE: People Lookup is not a phone directory site. It's a paid service to provide more detailed information such as background checks, criminal records, real estate records, etc. You can't remove your info from this service, because they pull from a variety of public and gov't databases.