Privacy price gouging, courtesy of phone companies

Millions of AT&T customers have to pay $1.75 a month for the privilege of an unlisted phone number. The company raised the fee in January from $1.25 -- a 40% increase. Before California regulators, in their infinite wisdom, gave the phone companies free rein in 2006 to jack up such fees, AT&T charged 28 cents for customers to keep their numbers out of the phone book and online directories. The company's charge has risen 525% since then. Verizon Communication's unlisted-number fee is even more insane -- if you can figure out what it is. And let's emphasize: This is for a service that a phone company is not providing. It's for them not including your name in a directory and not facing the costs of printing it in a phone book. "It's pure gravy," said Natalie Billingsley, telecom supervisor for the Office of Ratepayer Advocates, an arm of the state Public Utilities Commission. "They charge whatever they want to charge."