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Your Cell Records For Sale Online, Cheap
AviN456 writes "The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that your phone records are for sale online to the general public. From the article 'The Chicago Police Department is warning officers their cell phone records are available to anyone -- for a price. Dozens of online services are selling lists of cell phone calls, raising security concerns among law enforcement and privacy experts.' One of these sites is selling cell phone records for $110 for a month's worth of calls. No court order needed, no credentials required. If they want your records and have the money, they get 'em."
I bet the NSA might be able offer a reduced price on these kinds of lists.
One of these sites is selling cell phone records for $110 for a month's worth of calls. No court order needed, no credentials required.
That's absolutely stalk-tastic. So, in addition to being able to buy SS#, satellite images of their house, and public property information, we can get phone records now. Sweet.
Anyone want to see what 1-900 numbers Jack Thompson's been calling?
The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
Chief Wiggum: Did you trace the phone number?
Lou: Sure did, chief.
Chief Wiggum: 555... aww, it's gotta be phony.
Both TFA and the /. post are slanted towards law enforcement agencies. There is nothing about the service or warning that shouldn't apply to everyone.
Depending on how paranoid you are, this information could be interesting. Worried about a partner cheating? Worried about your partner finding out? Worried your boss will find out you have frequent calls to your Cylon agent (or is she just in your head?) (Okay, the last one was a joke.)
But I wanted to make sure it was clear, this applies to everyone. Not just police.
I have no fixed line. I only use cash cards for mobile. I haven't received a spam e-mail message in 8 years.
I mean, what the fuck is wrong with me? Why doesn't the corporate oligarchy like me? Why haven't I been offered to enlarge my reproductive tool, invest in Nigerian projects, or enroll in the US Gubmint Green Card lottery?
It is so fucking unfair.
My records show 400+ late night calls to Cowboy Neal...now he'll never answer!
On the one hand, I am appalled at the erosion of our civil liberties and the almost-sedated non-response from the public. It reminds me of the way in which cancer kills you (the body ignores it when it's small, and as it only grows a little bit each day, the problem is put off until it's too late; a tumor that would have been actively fought if implanted full grown kills an otherwise health person because it's never that much worse than it was the day before).
But on the other hand, I'd love to see someone try to decipher my cell phone calls:
Me: Could you repeat that? ...other...erver room...ception in here...od damn fans...!
Them:If...the...ine when I...ick.
Me: No! Don't click on that! We need to log the error message.
Them:Hog...any..sausage?
Me:Not sausage. Message. Error message. Error message. Error message.
Them:...ot an err...hat about...age?
Me:Write it down. Write it down. Write it down.
Them:Could you...that?
Me:Write it down. Write it down. Write it down.
Them:...I just read...you? Zero zero...eff as in...apple, zero, ze...two. Got that?
Hey, maybe I could just ask the NSA for a cleaned up transcript!
--MarkusQ
I will sell my phone records for $110.
Preemptive strike
I sleep well at night not worrying about privacy concerns or any of the other issues that are out there, and it helps me live in the modern age.
The first is to live an exceedingly dull life. My cell phone records, if anyone bothered to pay for them, would provide a list of short calls to other dull people, usually to arrange meetings to do dull things such as 'play skee ball' or 'watch star trek'. If someone wanted to invade my privacy, the would end up spending hours on end trying to figure out what I was hiding, because nobody's life is that boring. The jokes on them, because mine is.
The second is to have an abysmal credit rating. Go ahead and steal my identify. Trust me, you won't be getting any credit cards using *my* name.
The third is to have completely bizar purchasing habits. If you want to collect market data on me, fine. You'll think your computers, which approximate consumer behavior are broken with me. It's not that I try hard to be weird, it's just that, well, I'm going to purchase a DVD of Bergman's 'Wild Strawberries' in the same order as 'Dude, Where's My Car', and you'll jut have to live with it.
So go ahead, steal my data. Take my information. I'm just going to make your magin of error bigger.
The Internet is generally stupid
Do you think that if I contacted one of the firms that actually buys a months worth of records for $110, and told them that they are more than welcome to my records if they pay my $110/ month phone bill, they would?
For another $120 + $12.95(TIVO)/month, they can pay my cable/tivo bill for me and I'll tell them everything I watched on all my TVs.
For about $320 I'll detail for them every Kw/h of power I used in a month.
Kick in a final $400 amonth for gasoline, and I'll gladly catalogue everywhere I've driven.
As an added bonus, if they go with the whole package, I'll include at no additional charge a catalogue of everyone who uses my pool in the summers. This is a $75/month (pool guy + chemicals) savings!
Deal or No Deal?
You should have stepped up to the $29 phone. It has spell-check.
(sorry, I could not resist)
Repant. Thy end is sheer.