From: kelsey@mdd.comm.mot.com (Joe Kelsey)
Newsgroups: pnw.general
Subject: Re: How to defeat CID, ANI, and Caller Return
Date: 15 Sep 92 22:03:20 GMT
Article-I.D.: mdd.1992Sep15.220320.17629
Distribution: na
Organization: Motorola, Mobile Data Division - Seattle, WA

Note that *all* of the methods listed except for Operator assisted dialing
only work in todays telephone network because the LECs do not have SS7
interfaces in place.  *All* IXCs use SS7 to route calls, and thus fully
exchange the originating caller info.  The LECs already *must* use SS7 to
implement equal access to IXCs (10xxx dialing).  As soon as the LECs implement
SS7 completely within any given LATA (e.g. for inter-CO routing), then you can
no longer get ``out of area'' as a CLID status!  (The originating and
terminating LATAs both use SS7, the IXC uses SS7, therefore you have caller
info delivery from end to end.)  I don't think that you can expect to ``hide''
behind a calling card or 10xxx type dialing once we have nationwide,
end-to-end SS7.  Of course, you always have the corner payphone, a
questionable bit of anonymity in any case, considering the COCOT problems.

I believe (correct me if I don't have my facts straight) that the
implementation of 950-xxxx as a *national* 7-digit dialing system requires the
existence of SS7 in all LECs.  The transition starts next year and the
FCC-mandated schedule allows several years to transition, at which point the
LEC to IXC interface must provide full SS7-type connectivity.  At that point,
700-800-900 numbers can also use the 950-xxxx database, as I understand it.

Basically it all boils down to the end of the fantasy of the anonymous
telephone number.  Those who believe that they have a ``right'' to an unlisted
telephone number must also think of their street address in similar terms.
Did your parents (grandparents?) expect telephone anonymity in the days before
automated COs and national direct-dialing?

People who believe that they can hide behind a telephone expect far too much
of modern technology.  *Especially* so-called computer professionals (see the
CPSR fact-free diatribes on CLID) who implemented the systems that they now
rail against as privacy invasions!  Trying to legislate away a piece of proven
technology (SS7 for telephone call routing) serves no purpose, except maybe to
encourage the FBI into thinking that they have an equal right to legislate
much worse invasions of privacy, as thier repeated attempts to pass totally
outrageous wire-tapping laws shows.  Why don't the CLID opponents attack the
real threat to their privacy as embodied in the current administrations
continued attempts to further erode your *real* constitutional rights, instead
of this fantasy of the phone number indexing every small business database.

More fuel for the CLID debate...

/Joe

p.s. For those who don't know, the phone companies plan to implement national
7-digit numbers using the 950-xxxx numbers.  Dominoes and AT&T already have
their numbers, and as soon as they implement the database, you can dial one
number to call your local Dominoes nationwide!  The system uses the caller
phone number to determine the phone # of the Dominoes nearest you and routes
the call back to them.  This, of course, requires SS7 signalling to implement
efficiently (i.e., adding < 5 seconds to call routing).