Thread: Is Caller ID an invasion of our privacy?

A caller ID is not an invasion of privacy.

If you call without one, I WILL NOT ANSWER your call!

If you dont want me to know who you are, then you are probably selling something. And If I want to buy something, I will make a call myself.

I belong to the DO NO CALL list. Thank goodness for them.

Under Caller ID, a person wishing to call a another person must surrender his privacy and reveal his identity to the person or company he is calling.

Similarly, a person wishing to rent a car or board an airliner must surrender his privacy and reveal his identity to the people or the company offering that service.

In all such cases, a person's right to privacy and anonymity is countered by the rights of others to remain secure from those who would use stealth to do potential harm.

A person cannot be completely free in a civilized society. One person's rights end where another persons rights begin.

Jonathan,

Using your arguments; the instances you choose are regarding the public good, caller id is for the individuals good. If I choose to use public transportation then I have to surrender to a degree, my privacy, for the public good.

My phone is not for public consumption, it is for my private use. Therefore I am entitled to know who desires to infringe upon my privacy and home.

Caller ID and Blocked Numbers are used to prevent people from harm as well as as giving them the opportunity not to answer the phone call if they choose not to talk with that person/company. Why do you think they also have the do not call list? People do not want strangers or companies calling.

Its the same as an unlisted number. The desire to control who calls. You don't have to call me, I don't have to call you.

Privacy and intrusion of peoples lives are closely entwined but not totally the same.

Originally Posted by RealID

Jonathan,

Using your arguments; the instances you choose are regarding the public good, caller id is for the individuals good. If I choose to use public transportation then I have to surrender to a degree, my privacy, for the public good.

My phone is not for public consumption, it is for my private use. Therefore I am entitled to know who desires to infringe upon my privacy and home.

Caller ID and Blocked Numbers are used to prevent people from harm as well as as giving them the opportunity not to answer the phone call if they choose not to talk with that person/company. Why do you think they also have the do not call list? People do not want strangers or companies calling.

Its the same as an unlisted number. The desire to control who calls. You don't have to call me, I don't have to call you.

Privacy and intrusion of peoples lives are closely entwined but not totally the same.

An intruding phone call from an unknown caller is an intrusion on the recipient, but such a call does not extract any private information relating to the recipient's private ID data. The privacy of the caller's ID is the issue here. That's why the program is called Caller ID.

But I agree with you that Caller ID is a good program. People have a right to demand to know the identity of people who call them in the same way car rental companies and airlines have a right to demand identity information from people who want to rent their cars or fly on their planes.

An intruding phone call from an unknown caller is an intrusion on the recipient, but such a call does not extract any private information relating to the recipient's private ID data. The privacy of the caller's ID is the issue here. That's why the program is called Caller ID.

He already has my phone number, he has called me, not the other way around. I still stand by my response. He has invaded my personal private space, not the other way around.

Caller ID and Real ID are two totally different ideas. One is privacy, the other is intrusion. One is voluntary the other is not, its being demanded by the government.

Originally Posted by RealID

An intruding phone call from an unknown caller is an intrusion on the recipient, but such a call does not extract any private information relating to the recipient's private ID data. The privacy of the caller's ID is the issue here. That's why the program is called Caller ID.

He already has my phone number, he has called me, not the other way around. I still stand by my response. He has invaded my personal private space, not the other way around.

Caller ID and Real ID are two totally different ideas. One is privacy, the other is intrusion. One is voluntary the other is not, its being demanded by the government.

I was not addressing the privacy or intrusion concerns of the person receiving such calls. I was asking whether Caller ID violated the privacy of the caller.

And Caller ID does extract the private information of people making phone calls in the same way that Real ID extracts private information of people renting cars or buying airline tickets. Both are similar programs in that they extract information from people using public utilities or transportation services.

Why should it affect the privacy of the caller? He is the one doing the calling, let him make himself available for inspection, If he chooses not to do so, he does not have to call anyone with caller id.

He/she is the one stepping into my boundary and private spaces, not the other way around. I don't have to give my info, he does.

Oh and by the way....I won't bother to keep this patter up, since you have a totally closed mind and see the issue from one standpoint only.

One cannot debate a closed mind.

Originally Posted by RealID

Why should it affect the privacy of the caller? He is the one doing the calling, let him make himself available for inspection, If he chooses not to do so, he does not have to call anyone with caller id.

He/she is the one stepping into my boundary and private spaces, not the other way around. I don't have to give my info, he does.

Right! I never suggested the receiver of the phone call would have to give up any info. The question was whether Caller ID violates the privacy of the Caller. It obviously does since it makes the Caller release info on his ID. Hence the name Caller ID! And I agree with you that there is nothing wrong with making a Caller identify himself by means of the Caller ID system.

Maybe this was a trick question, but my point was simply that a person wishing to use a public utility or rent a car or fly on an airplane must allow himself to be identified before he makes a phone call or rents a car or flies on an airplane.

Originally Posted by gofer

My policy: NO ID - NO ANSWER!

Airline's policy: NO ID - NO AIRLINE TICKET