The policy in brief

Treat every result as a fallible research lead, minimize collection and sharing, verify through an independent channel, respect stop signals, and never use these services for regulated eligibility decisions.

Phone numbers can be reassigned, shared, ported, forwarded, or spoofed; identity and relationship records can be stale or mismatched.

Lower-risk uses

These rules apply to every ranking, provider card, comparison row, guide, disclosure, and outbound link on this publication.

  • Triage an unfamiliar call or message without confronting the listed person.
  • Check whether a claimed business resembles an official directory entry, then verify through a known channel.
  • Attempt one respectful reconnection with a plausible old contact.
  • Find an official privacy, unlisting, or suppression route for your own data.

A safe verification sequence

Pause any request for money, credentials, codes, or urgent action.

Use the lookup only to form a tentative hypothesis, then verify through a number or site obtained independently.

  • Do not publish sensitive details or involve relatives merely to strengthen the match.

Data-minimization practice

Record only the clue needed for the legitimate question and note contradictions or dates.

Delete unnecessary personal details after the question is resolved or the match fails.

  • Do not copy a full profile into messages, public posts, or shared workspaces.

Prohibited and high-risk uses

Do not use these services for employment, housing, credit, insurance, tenant screening, or another regulated eligibility decision.

Do not use a profile to harass, threaten, stalk, impersonate, expose, discriminate against, or repeatedly contact someone.

  • Do not treat a spam label, address, associate, or listed owner as proof of who placed a call.

What to do when the contact seems dangerous

Stop engaging, preserve the message, and use the official channel for the claimed organization.

Use carrier, platform, or appropriate government reporting paths when warranted.

  • Do not confront the person named by a lookup; spoofing can make that person uninvolved.