Reverse Phone Lookups And How They Apply To Cellphones

As a fairly controversial subject, reverse phone lookups obtained from drivers on a toll road raises many questions when it comes to legality and technical possibility. There are many benefits to being able to communicate with motorists while in transit. The question becomes: do the benefits of this communication outweigh the potential privacy issues associated with obtaining the driver?s cell phone number and contact information? Where should the line be drawn when it comes to what information can be obtained and the limit of what information can be transmitted to those on the road? Furthermore, should drivers be able to opt out of this communication if privacy is deemed to be an issue?

Is this technically possible?

With current cell phone surveillance technology, it is certainly possible to set up equipment to monitor cell phone activity through the air waves. While this technology is currently pricy, it may be worth the expense by saving time and resources of the toll road operators by cutting the cost of mailing toll fees and establishing electronic payment options for the drivers using the system.

Do the benefits outweigh the privacy issues?

Wouldn?t it be nice to receive a text message warning you of traffic conditions or hazardous incidents ahead? By monitoring the airwaves on toll roads and pulling the phone number from the cell phone transmissions, toll road operators could use reverse phone lookups to send personalized messages to motorists with pertinent information such as how to get a transponder account on the telephone, how to pay license plate imaged tolls, or warnings of incidents ahead on the road. Even with these benefits, this presents a real privacy issue since the phone numbers would be obtained along with the cell phone transmission.

Even though the process would be automated and the phone number extracted without a human viewing the transmission, many people may view this as a breech in personal privacy that would be a serious legal issue. In the grand scheme of things, this isn?t any different than the communication that is already monitored in other areas of technology. A simple solution would be to post a notice at the beginning of the toll road section notifying drivers that they may receive communication on their cell phones if they are turned on and transmitting during the course of driving the toll road.

Where do we draw the line?

While it is easy to obtain the phone number of the people driving on a toll road the question must be asked how much information should be gained from receiving the cell phone transmission? Along with the phone number that is transmitted, text from text messages may also be able to be grabbed from the airwaves or even the phone conversations themselves. Regulations must be in place to ensure the motorists that only their phone number will be used to reply with transmitted information.

In addition to this, using a reverse phone lookup will provide the operators with the name and billing address of the cell phone owner. Also, the amount of communication and type of advertising that is allowed in this fashion is a big issue since no one likes getting unsolicited advertisements. Strict rules must be put in place and enforced before motorists would be comfortable with this service.

Should drivers be able to opt out?

To ease the mind of drivers on the road, the option of being able to opt out of direct messages using this service should be available. While this would not prevent their communications from being picked up by the surveillance or the cell numbers from being entered into the reverse lookup, it would give motorists the peace of mind that they would not be contacted further.

As controversial as this service may be, it deserves to be looked at seriously for the benefits and cost savings that it presents. Toll roads may be forever changed by this technology. It is up to us to make sure that it is safe as well as beneficial.

Sources: http://rf-web.tamu.edu/security/security%20guide/V2comint/Cellular.htm

Author Bio: Miles Walker normally writes feature articles on car insurance quotes for CarInsuranceComparison.org. He recently wrote about Vermont car insurance.

For Further Reading:

1. Is Your Phone Telling Advertisers Too Much?
2. How to Program a Cell Phone
3. Capitalizing On Business Opportunities In The Cell Phone Industry
4. Do You Really Need Cell Phone Accessories?
5. Is Your Phone Being Wiretapped [Infographic]

Tagged as: Cell Phone, Cellphones, Reverse Phone Lookup, Reverse Phone Lookups

Source: http://www.tech2date.com/reverse-phone-lookups-and-how-they-apply-to-cellphones.html

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