The cost of El Salvador phone number lists is highly variable and depends heavily on the source, the legality of the acquisition, the recency and accuracy of the data, and the volume of numbers included. It's crucial to understand that acquiring and using such lists, particularly for marketing or unsolicited contact, may be illegal and unethical, especially given El Salvador's new Personal Data Protection Law (effective November 2024).
Here's a breakdown of the factors influencing the cost and the legal/ethical implications:
Paragraph 1: The Illicit and Grey Market for Phone Number Lists
In the realm of "phone number lists" from countries like El Salvador, a significant portion of what might be "for sale" exists in a grey or outright illicit market. These lists are typically compiled by data brokers through various means, including web scraping of publicly el-salvador phone number list available (or semi-public) information, commercial data sharing agreements (often with broad consent clauses users unknowingly agree to), and, in more nefarious cases, data breaches and the dark web. The cost in this market is highly unpredictable and not transparent. You might find offers for:
"Scraped" lists: These could be compiled from online directories, social media profiles (where numbers were publicly visible), or other open sources. Their cost would depend on the perceived effort of scraping, the volume of numbers, and any demographic filtering applied. Prices could range from a few tens of dollars for very small, undifferentiated lists to several hundreds or thousands for larger, more "targeted" datasets, but their legality and consent status are highly questionable.
Breached data: Phone numbers obtained from data breaches are sold on the dark web. The price for such lists depends on the size of the breach, the recency of the data, and the inclusion of other PII (personally identifiable information) alongside the phone numbers. These lists are acquired illegally, and purchasing or using them is a criminal offense in most jurisdictions.
Aggregated data from commercial sources: Some data brokers acquire phone numbers through partnerships with companies that collect customer data (e.g., e-commerce sites, apps, loyalty programs). The cost for these lists would be significantly higher, often requiring bulk purchases directly from the data broker, with prices ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars, potentially even more for highly segmented and "clean" data. Even if the initial data collection was consented to, its subsequent sale and use by third parties for unsolicited calls may violate data protection laws.
It's important to stress that operating in this grey market carries significant legal and reputational risks. With El Salvador's new Personal Data Protection Law, individuals have much stronger rights over their personal data, including the right to consent to its processing and disclosure. Using lists obtained without explicit, informed consent for direct marketing or other purposes could lead to severe penalties, including fines and legal action. Therefore, direct "cost" figures for such lists are rarely advertised openly by legitimate businesses due to the inherent legal risks.