Google Posting Personal Info On Everyone?

[Greenguy]

I had this emailed to me this morning by my step-mother - usually I pass these emails I get from family off as the usual stupid emails that people send out, but this one need to be read & looked into by everyone - this is not some sort of scam!

*****

Google has implemented a new feature wherein you can type someone's
telephone number into the search bar and hit enter and then you will be
given a map to their house.

Before forwarding this, I tested it by typing my telephone number in
google.com. My phone number came up, and when I clicked on the MapQuest
link, it actually mapped out where I live. Quite scary. Please look up
your own number. Read below for details.

Think about it--if a child, single person, ANYONE gives out his/her
phone number, someone can actually now look it up to find out where
he/she lives. The safety issues are obvious, and alarming..

This is not a hoax; Mapquest will put a star on your house on your
street. In order to test whether your phone number is mapped, go to:

http://www.google.com/


Type your phone number in the search bar (i.e. 555-555-1212) and hit
enter.

If you want to BLOCK Google from divulging your private information,
simply click on the telephone icon next to your phone number. I removed
my name, but it takes 48-hours. If you are unlisted in the phone book,
you might not be in there, but it is a good idea just to check.

Please forward on to friends and family.

*****

My home number was in there with a link to directions to my house - very uncool.

[Cleo]

Nothing new about this. In fact I use it all the time.

You can also ask 411 to give you the address of a phone number.

Use Google to look up my phone and you will also get board threads where I've posted it.

Thanks for the tip about having the info removed, didn't know about that, but I see it is still available from other places on the web.

[MrMaryLou]

Scary Stuff

[Ramster]

What? That's insane.

[Torn Rose]

This was topic of conversation over a year ago on another board.

Cleo is dead on, my cell is posted by me on another board and that’s all that comes up, my wife’s cell nothing comes up, as well as my home number since it is unlisted as well.

I don't see the harm in this really, if you post your number on the web, than it's out there and unsecured by you, if it's in the phone book than it's already accessible to anyone looking for it.

$0.02

[urb]

Give 'em a call and ask them to stop doing it http://www.google.com/search?sourcei...8&q=6503300100

[DangerDave]

Thats pretty bad.

Mine didnt work tho.

DD

[Greenguy]

Maybe I'm just being paranoid - but I was alarmed when I saw it & removed myself instantly.

Regardless of if it's been going on for years or not, I'd bet a few people, like me, just found out about it & are removing themselves right now

[Dr Bizzaro]

That is fucked up.
Luckily mine did not work. Nor did my parents #.

[Nickname]

Only seems to be for people living in the US.......?
But I think its abit uncool of google to do it and not notify you.....

[MatrixFan]

Removed mine about a year ago. I had the same reaction. It mapped out right to my front door. Not good.

[Jim]

Originally posted by Greenguy
Maybe I'm just being paranoid - but I was alarmed when I saw it & removed myself instantly.

Regardless of if it's been going on for years or not, I'd bet a few people, like me, just found out about it & are removing themselves right now

Welcome to last year ")
Sorry, just always wanted to say that. And after the rude awakening this morning, you deserve it

[misty3k]

Originally posted by Greenguy
I had this emailed to me this morning by my step-mother - usually I pass these emails I get from family off as the usual stupid emails that people send out, but this one need to be read & looked into by everyone - this is not some sort of scam!

*****

Google has implemented a new feature wherein you can type someone's
telephone number into the search bar and hit enter and then you will be
given a map to their house.

Before forwarding this, I tested it by typing my telephone number in
google.com. My phone number came up, and when I clicked on the MapQuest
link, it actually mapped out where I live. Quite scary. Please look up
your own number. Read below for details.

Think about it--if a child, single person, ANYONE gives out his/her
phone number, someone can actually now look it up to find out where
he/she lives. The safety issues are obvious, and alarming..

This is not a hoax; Mapquest will put a star on your house on your
street. In order to test whether your phone number is mapped, go to:

http://www.google.com/


Type your phone number in the search bar (i.e. 555-555-1212) and hit
enter.

If you want to BLOCK Google from divulging your private information,
simply click on the telephone icon next to your phone number. I removed
my name, but it takes 48-hours. If you are unlisted in the phone book,
you might not be in there, but it is a good idea just to check.

Please forward on to friends and family.

*****

My home number was in there with a link to directions to my house - very uncool.

Weird. I tried googling my phone number (area code and the rest)--came up with zip, but my folks number comes up with the mapquest link and everything.

I wonder if its because my folks have a "listed" number (in the phone book) and I don't?

[plateman]

it seems to that google is really screwed up lately

[BigJohn]

Damn that's scary!

I tried all of my phone numbers and at first they didn't work but then I entered them in the format (xxx) xxx-xxxx and poof, my home number came up with a link to Yahoo maps!

It's true you can go to several sites (whitepages.com, etc) and search for names. But when you do that it generally brings up a list and you have to sort through... this phone number thing is pretty exact. Not sure if I like it at all.

[xxxjay]

It had my home # in there but not my cell.

Damn, that could be a nightmare for women that are being stalked. Google needs to patch that up.

[JanTM]

Damn this is bad. |pissed|
Glad it doesn't work with Danish numbers...

[DistantD]

I think it's equivalent to someone looking you up in the phone book. If you're not listed in the book, I don't think Google will have that info.

Just makes the world seem that much smaller... used to be only people in your city would be able to look you up...now its worldwide....

DistantD

[JenC]

I see no problem with it. If you're listed in the phone book, then you're listed on Google. If I was a stalker and wanted to find out your info, all I would have to do is call 411 and get the info. Same as finding it on Google so I don't see the big deal.

Personally I'm unlisted so I'm not in the phonebook nor Google.

[JanTM]

True. If it only displays information already available there is hardly no harm done. I just kind of (mis)understood it the way that it would display your personal info wether you were listed in the books or not.

[stuveltje]

yep scary stuff indeed, but myn number didnt work so me happy

[wizzard]

It's a bit different from a phone book
If you had just there phone number it would take faarrkking ages to find them. This way is really bad it should need a last name as well!

Image a chick at a bar gives out her number, then that guy beats her home that night cos he knows right where she lives...
hrrmhmm..