Reverse Phone Lookup - Illegal?

[Investors-Wanted]

It's illegal to give out exdirecrectory information as this would be a breach in data protection as the number subscriber have given instruction to withhold the number.

If it was illegal to search for a telephone number, you would not be able to do in search engines.

[shellyagal]

It’s always better to use a website that provides paid reverse cell phone lookup services; since it needs a lot of money to maintain a proper cell phone number database. And, so those who claim to conduct cell phone lookup at free of cost are all bogus; they charges money afterward. There are several sites that provide the most reliable fast and accurate result for minimum charges. You may use AAfter to get a comprehensive list of such sites. Just put the number in the search box and get it done.

[JElder]

Yup - in the UK using a phone number to look up subscriber details is currently illegal - at least for the directory owners. The purchased product and online tools block you from doing this. Don't know, but probably in one of the Communications Acts.

If, however, you had a list of contacts, you can use a number to find a contact. This is then getting into Data Protection Act issues - you need permission to store these details from the individuals.

If you have a list of data, it is often supplied under a licence that says what you can and cannot do with it, so check that to see what you are allowed to do. Of course, if it is only use internally, it is unlikely that anyone would know you are mis-using it.

[confused72]

Originally Posted by jd-uk

I am abit confused on the legality of this action.

I would basically be using the information publicly released in the phone book but in reverse.

I have came across some statements saying this is illegal, but on what exact terms? Is this a Data Protection Problem?

I am NOT making a reverse lookup service available to the public or anyone else, this is for private use only.

Any help much appreciated

A popular 'data research' company did this years ago and got slammed, with the data format being banned.

Although a telephone number on its own is not classed as personal data, when the results of the search were added, it was classed as personal data, as personal information was attached to it.

It was seen (if I remember correctly) that the only reason the data format was made available was to aide someone in obtaining data in a way which was obtrusive, underhand or unwanted by the target themselves (ie it is not common practice).

HTH

[NWBUS]

Yes, illegal...