Online phonebook - is it legal?

Quite often there are situations in which we need a telephone number quickly, whether to a private individual or a company providing specific services. Unfortunately, today, obtaining such information is not easy and fast at all. Sometimes it takes a lot of time or turns out to be impossible. The natural idea that comes to mind then is to use the Internet phone book - but it is worth first making sure that such a solution is legal and that the database that you are going to use makes the numbers available with the consent of their owners.

Paper telephone directories

In the past, they were present in almost every house. Every year, a thick book filled with phone numbers, names and addresses could be bought (usually in a housing cooperative). This information was collected in a convenient alphabetical order or divided thematically, depending on the profile of the company. It was certainly a very convenient solution, allowing you to quickly get the necessary information.

Unfortunately, for a few years now, paper-issued telephone directories have ceased to exist. First of all, there are fewer and fewer people with house numbers today. Secondly, the law no longer allows personal data to be made publicly available. We are increasingly protecting them, we do not want them to be available to everyone, even to unauthorized persons. That is why the telephone directory is not working today and is no longer published.

Online phonebook - does it exist?

Under the slogan "online phonebook" you can find various websites. Sometimes they are simply databases of companies that provide their phone numbers and addresses voluntarily, in order to make it easier for customers to reach them. This is a very good way to find a location for a company providing the services we need.

An online phonebook can also be a bottom-up initiative created by users of a forum or website. Usually there are numbers from which call center employees call to advertise products and services. Such lists are a warning - "do not answer this number". In such databases, users also place their contact details on companies.

Despite the fact that it is no longer legal to share your personal data without your direct consent, online phonebooks are doing well and are a great substitute for their paper prototypes. Access to some of the databases is free and very easy, others require registration and payment of a fee.

How do I get a phone number?

If the paper version of phonebooks is no longer functioning today, where do you need a phone number? In the case of a company it is usually enough to know its name and enter it in the Internet search engine. In the case of a private individual, this will be a bit more difficult. There are databases that provide phone numbers that are already very secure and their use is becoming more and more common.