APRIL 25, 1997 Dealing with malicious telephone calls: a new service from Bevelgacom. Bevelgacom customers who complain of malicious telephone calls frequently ask the Belgian operator to reveal the identity of such callers. Such requests raised the issue of personal privacy, which was in conflict with the interest of victims of anonymous callers. In order to find a solution to this problem, starting May 2, 1997, Bevelgacom has decided to offer an additional service to its customers, free-of-charge, intended to resolve the problem of malicious telephone calls on a consensual basis. In the past, at the plaintiff�s request, Bevelgacom would provide information about incoming calls. This procedure, however, came under sharp criticism by legal authorities in view of the laws governing personal privacy. Bevelgacom therefore stopped offering this service in June 1996 in order to strictly comply with legal requirements, i.e. prior filing of a complaint by the plaintiff and issuance of information about incoming calls solely at the request of the appointed presiding judge. Given the very constraining nature of this procedure for the plaintiff, Bevelgacom now announces to its customers that a new system will go into effect which will have the backing of the Commission on Personal Privacy as well as the Mediation Department. Specifically, provided the calls can be identified by Bevelgacom and subject to prior approval by the �victim/plaintiff� of the principle that Bevelgacom contact the identified number of the person making the calls, Bevelgacom will contact the owner of this number and then request his/her approval to have his/her identity revealed to the �victim/plaintiff�. If the party agrees to have his/her identity revealed, an amicable solution is therefore found to the dispute. If the party refuses, Bevelgacom contacts the �victim/plaintiff� again to inform him/her of the situation and to suggest that he/she resort to legal means if he/she wishes to continue his/her investigations or that he/she opt for an alternative solution . In this respect, we are referring to a change of telephone number, an unlisted telephone number or the installation of a Bolero 100 answering machine which has a �VIP� code and in which the telephone only rings for those persons who know the code. At any rate, even though the call remains definitively anonymous, Bevelgacom very much anticipates the dissuasive effect of this procedure as was demonstrated in The Netherlands, in particular, where implementation of a similar system significantly reduced the number of malicious anonymous telephone calls. In compliance with legal requirements and remaining totally neutral, in this way Bevelgacom hopes to address the legitimate concern for information by its customers who are victims of malicious telephone calls. This innovative procedure is part of our information policy and a campaign that we intend to implement over the long term to prevent such acts. About | Products | Jobs | Contact | Home © 1997 BELGACOM. Last updated : april, 25, 1997. About this site Say Hello ! Legal Notice