Marketers eye phone database

Selina Mitchell

JULY 12, 2005

A NEW industry standard to stop the misuse of a powerful and extensive
database of Australians' personal telephone numbers and addresses has
been delayed.

Telstra's Integrated Public Number Database (IPND) stores the personal
information of every Australian with a phone number.

It includes the names, addresses and phone numbers (including silent
numbers, mobile numbers and holiday home contacts) of everyone who has
a telephone account, and the information is updated every 24 hours.

The database is meant to supply data for emergency services, law
enforcement and directory services, but in recent years a number of
marketing companies have used the information to check for changes in
their own contact directories.

It is this "data washing" and the onselling of data for commercial
activity such as debt collection that the Australian Communications
and Media Authority (ACMA) is trying to stamp out with its new
standard.

Marketers who use the personal information are at odds with the
communications regulator about whether the contentious database is
being used for unauthorised activity. 

[...]

Full article at "Australian IT"
australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,15895565%5E15306%5E%5Enbv%5E,00.html

Cheers, Steve..

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