POLICIES :: eCommunications :: Phone numbers/identity
You are a number
Users are effectively defined and identified by their number in any phone system. Using that information can provide a number of handy services, but European regulation ensures the right to control the release of this essentially personal data must also be available to users.
Your telephone numbers is an important piece of personal data. And like all personal data it is vital that the owner of the data has control over its disclosure to other parties. In addition the right, where technically feasible, to retain a number when changing service providers is supported by EU regulation.
‘Ex-directory’
Subscribers to traditional telephone services have been included in public telephone directories by default. For most Member States a special request was required to go ‘ex-directory’ and in many countries this option required payment.
Today, fax numbers, mobile numbers and e-mail addresses are not generally included in public directories by default. Indeed, most people do not want their mobile phone numbers or e-mail addresses to be freely disclosed.
The Privacy and Electronic Communications Directive therefore grants subscribers to all electronic communication services the right to decide whether they want to be in a public directory – or not. And if they prefer not to be included, this should not cost them money. Directory publishers are also required to provide full information about the purpose and search facilities of any printed or electronic directory so that subscribers can make an informed choice.
Calling identify
Generally it is possible to see on your phone display the number from which an incoming call is being made. This calling line identification (CLI) may be an added-value service for fixed-line subscriptions but is usually included with mobile subscriptions.
CLI is a useful service that allows you to return missed calls for example. However, there may be situations where you as a caller do not want to transfer your telephone number to everyone you call. For example, if your number is ex-directory.
The Privacy and Electronic Communications Directive gives users the right to withhold transfer of their CLI. This should be available on an individual call basis or for all outgoing calls made from a specified number. However. the Directive also requires that any user should have the possibility to reject incoming calls from which the CLI is withheld.
In addition, a service called connected line identification allows a calling user to see the number of the subscriber to which the call is connected, even if this number is different from the one dialled by the caller: for example if the call is forwarded. As with CLI there are cases where the real number of a called line should not be presented to the caller, for instance where a work number has been temporarily forwarded to a private number which should not be disclosed to work related callers. The Privacy and Electronic Communications Directive therefore requires that called users should have the possibility to block the transfer of the number to which a call has been forwarded.
Nuisance calls
A special case of calls without CLI presentation is that of malicious or nuisance calls. If users are harassed or threatened by anonymous callers, it should be possible for their service provider to override any privacy options the malicious or nuisance caller may have activated. The CLI will be present within the network even if it does not appear on the display of the called user, allowing the service provider to trace the calls and provide the necessary information either to the police or to the victim of the calls, depending on the relevant national rules. CLI should allow automatic blocking of calls from specified numbers.
Another form of nuisance call is the forwarding of calls or faxes and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Directive includes a provision that makes it possible for users to undo such automatic call forwarding to their number via a simple request to the service provider.
Suppression of CLI may be automatically overridden when calls are made to the emergency services. In emergency situations, the need to save people's lives or health is more important than any privacy options the calling user may have activated.
Portability
Since 2000, all subscribers to fixed telephony services have the possibility to keep their telephone number if they change from one operator to another, while remaining at the same location. Portability of so-called non-geographic numbers is also possible both in case of a change of operator and a change of address.
Since 2003 the same Directive has required that similar number portability should also be available for all mobile service subscribers. Number portability has helped to stimulate competition and innovative pricing in the mobile sector.