Privacy invasion

[a11111]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Texas

I've had myself removed from the whitepages, but I still find that these third party companies who make things similar to whitepages still have my information in them and there are too many to contact all of them. Is this not illegal? I saw on the news that one of those "find anybody" websites was shut down for violating peoples' privacy and publishing personal info (such as addresses and phone numbers) that the people didn't want published. I would assume that things like this would constitute privacy invasions, otherwise any time a tabloid did a story on a celebrity they could accompany it with that celebrity's home address, or if a newspaper did a story on a lottery winner they could accompany it with that winner's home address and phone number, which would obviously cause a lot of trouble.

So since I haven't made my personal information available but these whitepage ripoffs and websites are publishing it anyway, are they allowed to do this?

Basically I don't want random people to be able to run a simple search on my name and easily find my home address, phone number, the combination to my gym locker, and whatever else these websites are publishing. As soon as you buy a house are you automatically added into some sort of public directory? how does this work?

 

[Just Blue]

There is "Non-published" and "Unlisted".

Are you both or just one? If both...Have you been so since you first contracted with the telephone company?

 

[swalsh411]

You seem paranoid. The fact that you exist is public record.

 

[a11111]

There is "Non-published" and "Unlisted".

Are you both or just one? If both...Have you been so since you first contracted with the telephone company?

Both I believe, but no, only since recently. I've had the same address/# for years, but recently my company has been moving more into the public eye so I decided to try to take precautions to hide my personal information.

 

[tranquility]

Closing that barn door after the horse has left, huh?

You can limit your exposure, but, there is no privacy any longer. You have no legal recourse.

 

[HomeGuru]

Both I believe, but no, only since recently. I've had the same address/# for years, but recently my company has been moving more into the public eye so I decided to try to take precautions to hide my personal information.

**A: are you in the witness protection program?

 

[a11111]

That's interesting. I remember when I was a senior in high school, someone anonymously started a website called "[school name] Hoez" which was basically a database of all the attractive girls at our school, with their names, pictures, phone numbers, etc. Obviously it caused a lot of girls to be harassed, stalked, you name it. It shut down after a few weeks and everyone assumed it was because one of the girls had taken legal action against it, but apparently something like this is perfectly legal?

If a person requests that their information be removed, does the publisher have an obligation to remove it or can they simply ignore the request?

 

[HomeGuru]

That's interesting. I remember when I was a senior in high school, someone anonymously started a website called "[school name] Hoez" which was basically a database of all the attractive girls at our school, with their names, pictures, phone numbers, etc. Obviously it caused a lot of girls to be harassed, stalked, you name it. It shut down after a few weeks and everyone assumed it was because one of the girls had taken legal action against it, but apparently something like this is perfectly legal?

If a person requests that their information be removed, does the publisher have an obligation to remove it or can they simply ignore the request?

**A: something like that is not perfectly legal.

 

[tranquility]

If a person requests that their information be removed, does the publisher have an obligation to remove it or can they simply ignore the request?

They can simply ignore the request.

(But, in the example given, there are other legal issues.)

 

[a11111]

They can simply ignore the request.

(But, in the example given, there are other legal issues.)

What are the other legal issues? Seems like it's basically just a whitepages site with pictures.

 

[tranquility]

"[school name] Hoez"

Seems to me they're making a defamatory claim about the people on that list. (If untrue, defamation action.) Also, they are underage. Also, there are pictures where there is an attached copyright.

Move on. You have no legal options regarding forcing them to remove the information.

 

[a11111]

Seems to me they're making a defamatory claim about the people on that list. (If untrue, defamation action.) Also, they are underage. Also, there are pictures where there is an attached copyright.

Move on. You have no legal options regarding forcing them to remove the information.

Is publishing personal info of minors illegal?

I just find it strange that these things are allowed. I would much rather a stalker have a picture of me and a link to my Facebook profile, than my home address and phone number.

 

[swalsh411]

Great. Thanks for sharing. You have received the correct legal answer to your question.

 

[a11111]

Great. Thanks for sharing. You have received the correct legal answer to your question.

Actually, I asked a followup question in the last post that hasn't been answered yet. I'm sure everyone would appreciate if you could stop leaving useless replies in this thread, as you've already done so a couple of times. Thanks.

 

[Zigner]

Actually, I asked a followup question in the last post that hasn't been answered yet. I'm sure everyone would appreciate if you could stop leaving useless replies in this thread, as you've already done so a couple of times. Thanks.

Your question is moot - you are not a minor. Good day.