Scary google feature

[the kid 05]

Google has implemented a new feature which enables you to type a telephone number into the search bar and hit enter and you will be given the person's name and address. If you then hit MapQuest, you will get a map to the person's house. Everyone should be aware of this! It's a nationwide reverse telephone book.

If a child gives out his/her phone number, someone can now look it up to find out where he/she lives. The safety issues are obvious, and alarming.

Note that you can have your phone number removed or blocked. I tried my number and it came up along with the mapquest and directions straight to our house. I did fill out the removal form for myself, and encourage all of you to do the same. Quite scary.

Please look up your own number.

if you look up your own number you can request to have it removed, it normally take 48 hrs to get it removed though.

 

[Yeagermeister]

Didn't work for me but I also don't have a land line phone.

 

[Khartun]

that is not a new feature. It has been like that for years.

 

[joseephuss]

There is a lot of information out there available to almost anyone. You can call 4-1-1 and get an address and then map that out. In many Texas counties you can go the appraisal rolls and look up people or addresses.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Does not work for me. Might be where I have an unlisted number.

 

[peplaw06]

Yep, your phone must be listed in a phone book somewhere. That's what google searches.

But you can still find all kinds of information on the internet outside of google. Like Jo said, you can look up who owns a certain house having only an address at Texas county tax appraisals.

I remember when I was in Cali at law school, we would use Lexis to look up property tax records in Malibu. You can find all of the stars addresses online.

 

[Tricked]

Yeah, as posted before this feature has been around quite some time through other sources. There's a white pages website that's allowed you to do a reverse phone number search for a good while, I've used it for about 6 years ago to see who that random number calling my phone is.

 

[iceberg]

Google has implemented a new feature which enables you to type a telephone number into the search bar and hit enter and you will be given the person's name and address. If you then hit MapQuest, you will get a map to the person's house. Everyone should be aware of this! It's a nationwide reverse telephone book.

If a child gives out his/her phone number, someone can now look it up to find out where he/she lives. The safety issues are obvious, and alarming.

Note that you can have your phone number removed or blocked. I tried my number and it came up along with the mapquest and directions straight to our house. I did fill out the removal form for myself, and encourage all of you to do the same. Quite scary.

Please look up your own number.

if you look up your own number you can request to have it removed, it normally take 48 hrs to get it removed though.

it's only finding public information, that's all. it's just easier to do now, that's all.