Disqus
Interesting one this one – there’s a new service launching in the UK whereby you can find someone by their mobile number, and then have your details sent to them to get in contact with them – the name of the service is 118800
118800 has bought a series of mobile number lists to form a (roughly) 16 million number database, which people, and by that I mean anyone, will be able to query.
The interesting angle, other than the launch itself, is the fact that it has created seemingly quite a bit of controversy regarding privacy laws – I guess quite a few people don’t feel like their data should be made available to others!
I understand that the numbers were collated from various lists, which themselves were the result of those instances where say you fill in a form for marketing (or don’t uncheck the box), for a given promotion or similar. The problem is, I guess, that people whose numbers have been captured didn’t give explicit permission for their data to be sold on….
Having now checked out the website, it seems relatively easy to become ‘ex-directory’ – which of course you should do if you feel uncomfortable about people finding your details on the site. If you are cool with being found (assuming you are one of the 16 million) then you need do nothing 
Personally, I’d give the site a look anyway – it’s an interesting idea, and I’m sure people will be tempted to check it out when it launches tomorrow.
About The Author
Ben Robinson
Ben is a 10+ year veteran of the Mobile industry – starting his career when SMS was a still a relatively new concept for most people (!), he has now consulted on everything from bleeding-edge Mobile content, to the next-gen accessories you might view it on. As a result he has a broad and deep knowledge in numerous areas of Mobile – from network operators to device vendors, to infrastructure and middleware vendors (not to mention content delivery) – and has worked for companies in all of these areas! He is based in the UK, a hotbed of activity for mobile, and recently became a father for the second time – as oppose to in his younger years when he was happy spend time tweaking all manner of mobile devices to 'nth' degree, he now looks for services and hardware that provide the most efficient, compact, and reliable improvements to his already manic life! It’s his opinion that Mobile solutions should be there to help to make your life better – if a particular solution (be it service or device) isn’t doing this, he believes you need to ask the very important question of why you continue to use it... His focus at IntoMobile is mainly on Mobile content, services, and infrastructure, particularly as regards the UK market – and with the occasional look at devices. Additionally, using his extensive experience in the industry, he will provide commentary on the industry at large, with regular (and hopefully thought-provoking) articles.
