From: Bill Stewart <stewarts@ix.netcom.com>
Date: Fri, 15 Dec 1995 05:56:43 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: ADDRESS DATABASE?
Message-ID: <199512142108.NAA03208@ix12.ix.netcom.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


At 01:32 PM 12/14/95 -0600, you wrote:
>sandfort@crl.com said:
>> Something of privacy interest happened to me yesterday.  I phoned a 
>> company to ask for a copy of their catalog.  The phone clerk asked 
>> for my last name and zip code.  After receiving that info, the clerk 
>> asked me, "Is this your full name and address?" and then gave them 
>> both correctly.  I was taken aback.
>
> Taken aback?  Its only going to get worse in the future.  As Telcos, credit
>card companies, etc., start looking for new ways to make money I think 
>selling information about you will increase dramatically.

I'm in the process of moving and getting new phones, and Pac Bell asked me
if it was ok to send my Social Security Number to my long-distance carrier.
I told them "no, but you don't have my SSN anyway" "Oh, you're right, we don't;
can we have it" "No" "OK.  Would you be willing to give us your driver's license
number or another form of ID?  We've just started asking for this recently." 
"Is it required?" "No, it's optional, but I have to ask" "No, thanks"

Sounds like you're right about them getting into the info-selling business.
#--
#				Thanks;  Bill
# Bill Stewart, Freelance Information Architect, stewarts@ix.netcom.com
# Phone +1-510-247-0663 Pager/Voicemail 1-408-787-1281