Why is FTC allowing anyone to interrogate the "no call" list?

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

> Delivered-To: dfarber+ () ux13 sp cs cmu edu
> Date: Sun, 28 Sep 2003 08:38:12 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren () vortex com>
> Subject: Why is FTC allowing anyone to interrogate the "no call" list?
> To: dave () farber net
>
>
> Dave,
>
> A story is making the rounds that the phone number for the judge who blocked
> the "do not call" list on free speech grounds is itself on the list
> ( http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/09/27/do.not.call.ap/index.html ).
>
> I don't care whether or not the judge's number is on the list.  But I do
> wonder why the FTC has apparently permitted indiscriminate access to the
> "verify" function of the list in this manner via the Web.  There is no valid
> reason for this lack of privacy on this issue that I can think of.  Many
> persons in various professions could be harassed as a result.
>
> The only persons who need access to this information are the person(s)
> who control a phone number, and the telemarketers who have signed
> up to access the list officially (and by the way, the telemarketing
> signup link to the list, at least with my browser, warns of
> an unknown certificate authority on the encrypted page!)
>
> Regardless of whether or not the list ever becomes effective, the
> FTC should assure that random persons cannot collect information
> regarding the status of other persons' numbers via this system.
>
> --Lauren--
> Lauren Weinstein
> lauren () pfir org or lauren () vortex com or lauren () privacyforum org
> Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
> http://www.pfir.org/lauren
> Co-Founder, PFIR - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
> Co-Founder, Fact Squad - http://www.factsquad.org
> Co-Founder, URIICA - Union for Representative International Internet
>                      Cooperation and Analysis - http://www.uriica.org
> Moderator, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
> Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy

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