Article: Caller ID Thwarts Privacy. (Originated from Detroit Free Press)

Jul. 19--The folks at Michigan Bell sent out a letter a couple of weeks ago. They informed about 700,000 households, including mine, that our unlisted phone numbers were less private than we might have supposed.

The letter was about Caller ID, a service the company began offering last year. For a $6.50 monthly charge on the phone bill, plus the cost of buying an electronic gizmo that attaches to the phone, a display screen shows the phone number from which the caller is dialing.

Michigan Bell's letter warned of a new Caller ID wrinkle: For another two bucks a month, a customer can see a name as well as the number. The company's letter and advertising say ...

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