Bulletin: Acceller Promises to Close Unlisted Number Address Exploit

[David Farber <dfarber () cs cmu edu>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren () vortex com>
Date: December 21, 2007 8:38:55 PM EST
To: dave () farber net
Cc: lauren () vortex com
Subject: Bulletin: Acceller Promises to Close Unlisted Number Address  
Exploit



    Bulletin: Acceller Promises to Close Unlisted Number Address  
Exploit

               http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000348.html


Greetings.  After initially suggesting to me that there was nothing
at all wrong with their display of addresses for unlisted telephone
numbers on their services inquiry Web site
( http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000347.html ), Acceller -- in a
communication to Wired News -- has promised to alter their system
to end this privacy-invasive practice
( http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/12/site-leaking-un.html ).

Acceller appears to be blaming their data vendor for never
differentiating between listed and unlisted numbers, so Acceller
says that they simply displayed whatever data was provided to
them -- an interesting policy, to say the least.

In any case, the underlying issue in this whole affair really
relates to the lax rules associated with the handling of such data
in the first place, and no doubt there will be plenty more to
discuss about that in the future.

For now -- assuming that Acceller follows through on their
commitment in a timely manner -- all's well that ends well, it
appears.

Merry Christmas, everyone.  Take care.

--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
lauren () vortex com or lauren () pfir org
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
http://www.pfir.org/lauren
Co-Founder, PFIR
  - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
Co-Founder, NNSquad
  - Network Neutrality Squad - http://www.nnsquad.org
Founder, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com



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