Google phone map.

[jukes]

Subject: phone # can generate address map





Google has implemented a new feature where you can type someone's telephone number into the search bar and hit enter and you will be given a map to their house. Think about it - if a child, single person, or anyone gives out his/her phone number, someone can actually look it up and find out where he/she lives. (It's worse than this - a predator could just place calls until he finds a target, then google search the

address.) The safety issues are obvious, and alarming. This is not a hoax, mapquest will actually put a star on your house on your street. In order to test whether your phone number is mapped, go to www.google.com and type your phone number in the search bar with dashes (i.e.555-555-1212) and hit enter. Note, if your phone number is not public you should be fine. If you want to BLOCK Google from divulging your private information, simply click on the telephone icon next to your phone number. You will see a link where you are allowed to remove yourself.




Just received this 411 in email, my number doesn't hit, but I manually removed myself from Google phone X-ref 6 months ago.


Hope it's bogus, but I fear it's a realdeal.



My 1st thread! :bounce:
edit:cause I got excited & forgot to paste the email data.(oops!)

[WildClarySage]

1. It's true, but

it's always been easy to look up addresses from phone #'s and this is not really 'new' even with Google. Snopes has a commentary on this.

[lazarus]

2. it works

weird.

[beyurslf]

3. If your phone number is listed there are multiple ways

to obtain the address. Many many websites offer this. I only use a cell phone. That's one way to beat it. Have an unlisted number is another.

[onecitizen]

4. Actually, it's not that new..........

someone posted about that here many mos. ago and yes it does work.

[myrna minx]

5. I removed my phone number from google due to a nut job

that phoned my house. I am glad that they honored my request. This is great information. Thanks for posting this! :toast:

[creativelcro]

6. Uh Oh!

This keeps resurfacing...

http://www.snopes.com/computer/internet/google.htm

[sistersofmercy]

7. Welcome to DU jukes!

:hi:
This is not a good feature for google to have.

[jukes]

8. Thanx, SoM!

Think that some may have missed that the "new" feature is providing a map to your residence. 'course, that may not be a new feature, but it was "news" to me.



& I agree, a very bad thing from Google. :scared:

[wysimdnwyg]

9. Reverse phone number lookups

have been around for years. There was a time when you could call up information and do that. Now, there are several internet sites for it. Google just uses one of those.

[linazelle]

10. Phone books provide addresses so why not Google--a map is

just an enhancement to the address. I don't see the danger here.

[DS1]

11. It merely lowers the amount of steps to get this information

The old way:

1) Aquire phone number
2) Surf to anywho.com, use reverse lookup.
3) Get address information
4) Go to mapquest.com
5) Get map

Easy. So what's the big deal? One click instead of five? :eyes:

[slackmaster]

12. The location it gives for my number is several miles off

:D

Maybe it gives some generic location in your city if you street address is not listed in the white pages (as mine is not).

[Withergyld]

13. Mine is wrong too,

It shows a different suburb of Phoenix then I live in :)

[RebelOne]

14. Yep, removed myself a long time ago.

[alwynsw]

15. It doesn't work for my number

Just another advantage of living in the country, I suppose. Pick a map site - any - map site - enter my address and it will center on the post office. Pick any service that does the same with phone numbers and you get the same result.

But then, being the RKBA lunatic asswipe that I am, if anyone did find me for the wrong reasons I'd probably just ask them their business and if I'm not interested, invite them either to stay and discuss the weather or aid them with directions back to "civilization". Heck, I might even ask them to enjoy an afternoon of shooting at my range. (That's a definite advantange or rural acreage - just go out the back door to target practice safely.)

Ain't country life grand?