Reverse Phone Directory: Past And Present

The yellow pages can be used to look up the information for a business, and as residents, we can find a landline in the white pages, but what if want to find a cell phone number?

The grey pages, as reverse telephone directories are called, are the only databases that collect information on the owners of cell numbers. However, like their name suggests, they do not function like traditional telephone directories. Instead of starting with a name and ending with a number, you start with the phone number and search for the person to whom it belongs.

History of the Reverse Phone Directory

Printed versions of reverse telephone directories were made available to emergency services and law enforcement in order to help determine the location of a call for assistance. Because these directories included public and unlisted numbers, privacy concerns arose, and thus, their use was prohibited outside official police or emergency needs.

In the 1990s, businesses began to offer reverse phone number searches for fees, which then morphed into advertising-based reverse telephone directories, giving the public access to the information for free for landlines.

Then cell phone use became popular. Although it is impossible to have an "unlisted" cell number, there was no database that aggregated information on the owners of cell numbers. However, then things changed.

Cell Phones and the Reverse Phone Directory

As cell phones grew in popularity, there was originally no aggregated source of cell phone information because carriers maintained their own database, and consumer unions had successfully fought to keep cell numbers out of the reaches of "411." However, as technology developed, so did marketing tactics.

Since most people give their cell phone number to utility companies, businesses were able to buy these numbers and use them for telemarketing. Alternatively, other businesses could also turn around and offer customers the ability to conduct reverse phone directory searches.

Although it may seem like an intrusion of privacy, reverse telephone directories are not solely for advertisers trying to market their products or for modern day sleuths. They can also aid the consumer in conducting a background check on businesses from which they receive calls.

Recently, reverse telephone directories of known telemarketers and businesses were compiled so that when the consumer is contacted via phone, they can do a reverse search to find the identity of the company and read reviews. This is a very helpful service for a typically distrustful public.

Government Policies of Regarding the Reverse Phone Directory

These reverse telephone directories have been received differently across the globe. The voyeuristic culture in the United States has accepted the concept with open arms, with the caveat that cell numbers are not made readily available in the "411" directory ("Wireless 411 Privacy Act," 2004). A similar view prevails in Australia, as three websites currently offer reverse searches of cell phone numbers, but the United Kingdom has not been so welcoming. In Great Britain, reverse telephone directories are still prohibited for public use and remain the sole property of emergency and police personnel.


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This part is important, so pay attention.

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