: In 2004, Congress passed an amendment to the Communications Act of 1934 to prevent a national mobile phone book.
The rise of the internet and smartphones eventually made printed directories largely obsolete: cell phone directory
: Modern directories focus less on finding people and more on identifying potential scammers or telemarketers. How to reverse search a number for free | Kurt the CyberGuy : In 2004, Congress passed an amendment to
: Traditional publishers moved online with sites like Whitepages.com and Yellowpages.com. : Regulators began allowing companies to stop mass-printing
: Regulators began allowing companies to stop mass-printing residential books around 2010 (starting in New York), saving thousands of tons of paper.
As mobile phones gained popularity in the 1990s and early 2000s, there were attempts by wireless carriers to create a "411" style directory for cell numbers. However, these efforts failed due to:
: Mobile users expected their numbers to be private, viewing their cell phones as personal devices rather than public utilities.
