Is it illegal to do this?

[YOJO]

to post someones phone number on the internet when its not your number?

[SocratesOfThe21st]

give me the number and we'll c

[john k]

It is not illegal to simply post a number. However, any commentary you add to it might be construed as libel.

[candy g]

if it is a private individual and not a company then you could be done for harassment, stalking etc etc,

Main point is that it is not even something you would do as a joke, so the only reason you would do this is to cause harm to the other person.

[Trapped In The USA]

there isn't a law that says you can not and i don't see why would it be considered illegal really so the act itself of putting a number isn't illegal

[whitefangz1]

Phone numbers, even non-published numbers, are considered public information and may be posted freely.

[Robert]

Posting a person's home, cell or even business number and address is not illegal so long as it is not done by an individual with malice in mind. That, as already noted, can be construed as stalking or harrassment. However, your quandary is more likely the existence of Internet White Page services, which have kept abreast of modern technology with the use of powerful search engines that scour the 'Net for sources of just about everyone's phone number and then correlate them with the corresponding addresseses, names and even maps showing the exact locations of peoples' homes.

That is why I use a P.O. Box address and my cell phone number on all social Websites, the main source of these services. You can subscribe to various privacy services for about $10/month, e.g., http://www.reputationdefender.com/lp/lp4...iplSTCtrl& . They ask for a list of all the social sites you have joined (Facebook, Flickr, MySpace, Twitter, etc.) and then block those sites from providing your information. As you discover more sites, you add them to the list. I joined one for a while, and it worked, but I decided I didn't really care.

As a subscriber to a very good background report provider and also the user of other, free search engines designed to locate people (e.g. http://pipl.com/), I can get almost anyone's number, address, prior addresses, date of birth, neighbors' names and addresses and civil and criminal histories. I have a good reason for using this access and would never abuse the information I find. But I can start with a name, address, phone number, email address or one Social Networking name and get virtually anyone's official history except for Social Security and driver's license numbers (with the exception of SSNs of the deceased).

So not giving a street address or home number with online groups and in partucular your email profile is the best practice, and not letting your phone company publish this info is your best bet.

[MalorieK]

not usually illegal, though it might be in some circumstances. Say you encourage people to call and harrass the person. then the posting would be part of enciting or conspiracy.

However, most people expect that their PII isn't used by others for purposes other than those given.