Five times as many wireless customers this year said they were willing to list their mobile-phone numbers in a public directory as last year without any set privacy standards, while more than half of wireless customers said they were currently willing to list their phone numbers with some specific privacy protection in place, according to a consumer study conducted by The Pierz Group.
The survey, which consisted of an online survey this summer of more than 1,500 respondents, found that 11 percent of wireless customers said they were willing to list their numbers in a wireless directory assistance/enquiry database without any specific privacy protection compared with 2 percent last year, with 52 percent saying they were willing to list their number with some protection in place.
“This is significant in that it demonstrates that consumers have been considering this issue,” said Kathleen Pierz, managing partner of The Pierz Group. “It is likely that the ongoing media coverage of this topic, as well as the implementation of the national do-not-call list with its promise of reduced telemarketing calls, have had an impact on consumer opinion.”
The wireless industry is split on the topic of a wireless database with the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association pushing for the publication of a database, while some carriers have expressed concern about consumer privacy in providing wireless numbers to the database.
The Pierz study noted that consumers seemed more willing to partake in such a database if it followed a similar privacy approach based on do-not-call lists currently being implemented by wireline services.
“Customers need and want wireless DA/DQ services, so long as privacy protections are established,” Pierz explained. “The more comprehensive the privacy protection offered by carriers, the more individuals will list their numbers.”
