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Seniors and Others Worry About Privacy with New Wireless 411 Information System

States moving to protect consumer privacy as system gets close

April 21, 2005 – Senior citizens, maybe more than others, appreciate having a cell phone with the number only shared with family and friends. There are no unwanted calls, other than an occasional wrong number. This may change, however, as the new wireless 411 service comes online this year. If all goes according to plan, however, your number won't be listed unless you ask to list it.

A survey by AARP revealed only about five percent of senior citizens would want their number listed.

The system is being developed by Qsent, a privately-held corporation headquartered in Portland, Oregon. The Wireless 411 Service is the free, choice-based, privacy-protected inclusion of wireless data in the existing landline voice 411 infrastructure, the company says. Qsent has been selected as the sole aggregator of wireless data for the nationwide service by Alltel, Cingular, Nextel, Sprint PCS and T-Mobile.

Research in 2004 said about 40 percent of senior citizens had mobile phones, and they spend less time on the phones than others. Many seniors have them just to use for emergencies.

A majority of people in one survey indicated support for this number information service, as long as the promised safeguards are in place.

It has become a heavily debated issue in many state legislatures this year as consumer groups scramble to protect consumer privacy.

Washington state lawmakers approved a bill on Monday that would prohibit cell phone companies from publishing customers' numbers without their explicit permission. The measure passed the House 95-0. Gov. Christine Gregoire’s signature, which is expected, will make Washington the fourth state to pass such a bill.

The Texas House of Representatives yesterday approved a bill requiring “express consent” by the cell phone owner before the number is listed in the 411 system. During debate the requirement was changed from written consent to express consent.

To help diminish objections and confusion, Qsent issued the following news release about the service.

SORTING FACT FROM FICTION ON THE WIRELESS 411 SERVICE

Qsent debunks urban legend on proposed first of its kind nationwide service

PORTLAND, ORE., December 10, 2004 - Everyone has received them at one time or another: emails forwarded by friends of friends warning us of some unexpected danger. Many of these messages fall into the category of urban legends, that is, false information that seems impossible to refute as these emails get forwarded to ever growing circles of people.

One of the most recent examples attempts to scare consumers regarding Wireless 411 Service, a proposed service to offer wireless numbers through the nationwide 411 system. Like most urban legends, the facts refute the email message’s scare tactics. Here then, are the facts.

The Facts:

The Wireless 411 Service that will be enabled by Qsent is a first of its kind for the US. Unlike traditional landline directory assistance, the Wireless 411 Service has stringent privacy policies:

• The right to choose. Consumers have to ask to be included. No one’s mobile number will be included in the service unless they have requested it.

• The right to change one’s mind. Consumers can change their mind at any time and ask to have their information omitted.

• The right to security. Information will be safeguarded. Consumer data residing in the Wireless 411 Service privacy-protected database will not be listed or shared online or in any kind of public directory. A caller inquiring about a number will be given that information, but will not be able to access a directory for browsing. Likewise, telemarketers will have no access to this data.

• The right to exercise these fundamental choices at no charge. The choice to opt-in or opt-out will be free of charge. Qsent will not charge carriers for storage of listings, additions or deletions, nor will participating carriers.

The privacy controls for the Wireless 411 Service are much stricter than those used by traditional landline directory assistance and especially by web-based phone books.

Other Relevant Data:

• 52 percent of consumers surveyed for a Pierz Group report indicate they would support the Wireless 411 Service with the privacy protections that are currently proposed for the service. (August 31, 2004 - http://www.pierzgroup.com/AvailableReports/index.html).

• 24 percent of people indicate their cell phone is their primary communication device, with 7.9 percent of single-person households and 5.5 percent of all households in the U.S. describing themselves as cell phone-only.

• A majority of all wireless users, surveyed for the Pierz Group report, regardless of carrier, indicated they would be interested in participating in the Wireless 411 Service.

People with questions or concerns should go to www.wireless411service.com for more information, a Wireless 411 Service Privacy white paper on the privacy and security built into the system, and for more detail on the facts of the service.

About Qsent
Qsent builds trusted relationships by validating identity with precise and timely contact information for high value business applications. Qsent customers are leading companies in wireless, telecommunications, financial services, government, shipping and logistics.  For more information about Qsent, please visit the website at: www.qsent.com.

For more information about the Wireless 411 Service go to: www.wireless411service.com.

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