Date: Mon, 10 Aug 1992 15:59:31 PDT From: Nikki Draper Subject: File 8--Pac-Bell's Privacy Rings False (CPSR Press Release) PACIFIC BELL'S PHONE PRIVACY RINGS FALSE, SAYS COMPUTER PROFESSIONALS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY PALO ALTO, Calif., August 10, 1992 -- Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR), a national alliance of professionals concerned with the impact of technology on society based here, expressed deep concern over Pacific Bell's attempt to gut a recent California Public Utility Commission (PUC) order on Calling-Number Identification (CNID). Pacific Bell has requested a rehearing on the PUC restrictions. PacBell's proposal will eliminate important safety and privacy protections in the Commission's order, CPSR charged. CNID allows businesses to collect the phone numbers of customers who call them. The Commission's order guarantees privacy protections for all Californians. PacBell proposes to eliminate a key privacy protection called Per-Line Blocking with Per-Call Unblocking. This feature prevents home numbers from being collected by businesses, unless the caller decides to give it to them. Phone companies would prefer to only offer per-call blocking, a scheme in which caller numbers are always given out unless the caller remembers to dial a blocking code before dialing the desired number. "If this happens, Californians will inevitably receive more junk mail, more annoying phone calls, and greater invasions of their privacy, some of which may be dangerous," said CPSR Chair and user interface expert, Dr. Jeff Johnson. PacBell claims that CNID would give people more control over their privacy by providing the phone number from the calling phone. This is the wrong technological answer to the problem according to Johnson. "What people want to know is who is calling, not what phone is being used. If my wife's car breaks down and she calls me from a pay phone, that's a call I want to answer. CNID doesn't give me any information that will help me do that." In PUC hearings held last year, Johnson accused the phone companies of designing a service that is more useful for businesses in gathering marketing data than for consumers in screening calls. Phone companies are opposed to per-line blocking because it would presumably result in more numbers being kept private, thereby reducing the value of the CNID service to business subscribers. "Phone companies don't want you to block your phone number when you call movie theaters or appliance stores. The more times your number is revealed to businesses, the better! So they oppose reasonable blocking options and are pushing an error-prone one," he said. If only per-call blocking were available, residential phone customers -- or their children, parents, grandparents, guests -- would often forget to dial their blocking code before making a call, resulting in frequent disclosure of private information to businesses without the consent, and sometimes even without the knowledge, of the caller. "Unless PacBell is willing to live within the very reasonable bounds set by the PUC decision, the concerns of Californians will be far better served if CNID is simply not offered at all," said Johnson. "Subscriber privacy is more important that Pacific Bell's profits." Founded in 1981, CPSR is a public interest alliance of computer scientists and other professionals interested in the impact of computer technology on society. As technical experts and informed citizens, CPSR members provide the public and policy makers with realistic assessments of the power, promise, and limitations of computer technology. It is a national organization, with 21 chapters throughout the United States. The organization also has program offices in Washington D.C. and Cambridge, MA. For information on CPSR, contact the national office at 415-322-3778 or cpsr@csli.stanford.edu. ------------------------------ Downloaded From P-80 International Information Systems 304-744-2253