GOOGLE SHARED MY PHONE NUMBER!
2025-05-21
Earlier this month, I received a phone call from a user of Three Rings, the
volunteer/rota management software system I founded (Way back in 2002! We're
very nearly at the point where the Three Rings system is older than the
youngest member of the Three Rings team. Speaking of which, we're seeking
volunteers to help expand our support team: if you've got experience of
using Three Rings and an hour or two a week to spare helping to make
volunteering easier for hundreds of thousands of people around the world, you
should look us up!).
We don't strictly offer telephone-based tech support - our distributed team of
volunteers doesn't keep any particular "core hours" so we can't say who's
available at any given time - but instead we answer email/Web based queries
pretty promptly at any time of the day or week.
But because I've called-back enough users over the years, it's pretty much
inevitable that a few probably have my personal mobile number saved. And
because I've been applying for a couple of interesting-looking new roles, I'm
in the habit of answering my phone even if it's a number I don't recognise.
IMG Dan sits at his laptop in front of a long conference table where a group of people are looking at a projector screen.
After the first three such calls this month, I was really starting to wonder
what had changed. Had we accidentally published my phone number, somewhere? So
when the fourth tech support call came through, today (which began with a
confusing exchange when I didn't recognise the name of the caller's charity,
and he didn't get my name right, and I initially figured it must be a wrong
number), I had to ask: where did you find this number?
"When I Google 'Three Rings login', it's right there!" he said.
IMG Google Search results page for 'Three Rings CIC', showing a sidebar with information about the company and including... my personal mobile number and a 'Call' button that calls it!
He was right. A Google search that surfaced Three Rings CIC's "Google Business
Profile" now featured... my personal mobile number. And a convenient "Call"
button that connects you directly to it.
GIF 'Excuse me' GIF reaction. A white man blinks and looks surprised.
Some years ago, I provided my phone number to Google as part of an identity
verification process, but didn't consent to it being shared publicly. And,
indeed, they didn't share it publicly, until - seemingly at random - they
started doing so, presumably within the last few weeks.
Concerned by this change, I logged into Google Business Profile to see if I
could edit it back.
IMG Screenshot from Google Business Profile, with my phone number and the message 'Your phone number was updated by Google.'.
I deleted my phone number from the business listing again, and within a few
minutes it seemed to have stopped being served to random strangers on the
Internet. Unfortunately deleting the phone number also made the "Your phone
number was updated by Google" message disappear, so I never got to click the
"Learn more" link to maybe get a clue as to how and why this change happened.
Last month, high-street bank Halifax posted the details of a credit agreement
I have with them to two people who aren't me. Twice in two months seems
suspicious. Did I accidentally click the wrong button on a popup and now I've
consented to all my PII getting leaked everywhere?
IMG Spoof privacy settings popup, such as you might find on a website, reading: We and our partners work very hard to keep your data safe and secure and to operate within the limitations of the law. It's really hard! Can you give us a break and make it easier for us by consenting for us to not have to do that? By clicking the 'I Agree' button, you consent to us and every other company you do business with to share your personal information with absolutely anybody, at any time, for any reason, forever. That's cool, right?
Such feelings of rage.
LINKS
HTML Three Rings CIC
HTML Volunteer with Three Rings CIC
HTML Venn-Euler digram comparing relationship breakups to tech layoffs, based on my recent experience
HTML My blog post about how Halifax recently leaked my personal information (by post!)