Slanted "facts" from the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse

The following is an except from the document "Caller ID and My Privacy: What Do I Need to Know?" from the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.

Notice that this document lists 10 reasons to choose Complete Blocking, and only three anemic reasons in favor of Selective Blocking. Although each of the reasons to choose Complete Blocking is in itself legitimate, the total of these special cases probably constitute a tiny fraction of 1% of all subscribers. I find it outrageous that public policy regarding the convenience and useability of the phone sytem can be set by such a small group.

This whole document gives me the creeps. Notice the tabloid-like use of boldface to guide your thinking (all the while using the word "choice" liberally). I particularly like the cloak-and-daggger warnings in the last paragraph describing when Selective Blocking is a good choice. Doesn't this strike you as borderline paranoia?

"Remember, Selective Blocking puts you at risk for the occasional slip-up -- by yourself, guests, the babysitter, or children. A single call where you or a guest forget to enter the Selective Blocking code (*67) can leave you open to unwanted marketing or, worse, a stalker or harasser. Post the blocking sticker provided by the phone company on your phone so you and others are reminded of the blocking option you have selected. When you visit others and use their phone, always ask which blocking option they use."

[--jc]

Caller ID and My Privacy: What Do I Need to Know

Choosing Complete Blocking. Your decision to choose Selective or Complete Blocking depends in large part on the risk you face if your phone number is revealed to someone else. The higher the risk, the more likely you will want to choose Complete Blocking. Your phone number will automatically be blocked for every call you make when you select Complete Blocking. You may unblock individual calls by pressing *82 before dialing the number (1182 on rotary phones).

Listed below are situations in which you might want to choose Complete Blocking.

• You have an unlisted phone number. In other words, you have decided that your telephone privacy is very important, and you are willing to pay a monthly fee to the phone company to keep your number private. You want Complete Blocking to prevent your number from being captured by people and businesses you call.
  
  
• You are a victim of stalking, domestic violence or another form of harassment and must block your phone number at all times.
  
  
• You are a member of a profession in which the privacy of your home phone is important. You may at times need to make work-related calls from home and want to ensure that the persons you call are not able to reach you there. Some examples are: health care professionals, especially mental health care providers; school teachers; law enforcement officers; probation officers who may call parolees from home; judges and other court officials; social workers; entertainers; IRS and other government employees.
  
  
• You operate a domestic violence shelter or a safe home and must safeguard the phone number and location of the residents.
  
  
• You want to report crimes to the police department's Crime Tips Line, but want to remain anonymous.
  
  
• You have occasion to call a "help" hotline and want to remain anonymous. Such hotlines include: suicide prevention, AIDS information, immigration assistance, and mental health help lines. Note: If you call 911-emergency or an 800 or 900 number, your phone number cannot be blocked.
  
  
• You do a lot of price shopping from home and do not want your phone number collected for marketing purposes by the businesses you call.
  
  
• You have visitors to your home who might use your phone, such as babysitters, your children's friends, relatives and other guests. You don't want to risk revealing your number when phone calls are made, so you choose Complete Blocking.
  
  
• You are helping a friend or relative who is vulnerable to telemarketing scams like get-rich schemes, sweepstakes and prize offers. To help them limit who is able to capture their phone number, you suggest they select Complete Blocking.
  
  
• In general, you are someone who is very conscious of your privacy. You want to take every precaution to safeguard it and therefore choose Complete Blocking.

Choosing Selective Blocking. If you experience few of the risks listed above, you are more likely to choose Selective Blocking for your home phone. Here are some situations where Selective Blocking makes sense:

• Most of the people you call from home are friends and family. Those who subscribe to Caller ID don't like to pick up the phone unless they see the phone number of the caller.
  
  
• You live alone, have few visitors, and are very careful about your use of Selective Blocking. You are not likely to forget to enter the Selective Blocking code *67 when you need to shield your number.
  
  
• You don't really know how you feel about phone number privacy, so you choose Selective Blocking on a trial basis to see how it works for you. You might change to Complete Blocking in the future if you find that you prefer a higher degree of privacy.

Remember, Selective Blocking puts you at risk for the occasional slip-up -- by yourself, guests, the babysitter, or children. A single call where you or a guest forget to enter the Selective Blocking code (*67) can leave you open to unwanted marketing or, worse, a stalker or harasser. Post the blocking sticker provided by the phone company on your phone so you and others are reminded of the blocking option you have selected. When you visit others and use their phone, always ask which blocking option they use.