Private Numbers of Australia’s Prime Minister and Donald Trump Jr Exposed on AI Data Website

🔹STORY (BBC-Standard Rewrite):
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Donald Trump Jr have become the latest high-profile figures to have their private phone numbers exposed on a controversial US website that scrapes and publishes personal data using artificial intelligence.

The website, which claims to host contact details for “hundreds of millions of professionals,” still lists the personal numbers of both men, along with those of other prominent figures. The BBC has verified the listings but has chosen not to name the website due to privacy and security concerns.

Prime Minister Albanese’s office confirmed it was aware of the exposure, first reported by independent outlet Ette Media, and said Australian authorities had launched an investigation.

A spokesperson for opposition leader Sussan Ley — whose private number was also published — described the situation as “obviously concerning” and confirmed that steps had been taken to request the removal of her details.

The platform, widely used by recruiters and sales agents, allows users to search a limited number of contacts for free, or subscribe for wider access. It claims to gather information from public records, company filings, job portals, and social media profiles — but experts say the scale of the data collection raises serious privacy questions.

When the BBC tested the database, it found accurate contact details for Albanese and what appeared to be a personal number for Donald Trump Jr, although it was unclear if he still uses it. Numbers listed for former US Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton were also found — the latter answered by a man who sounded confused — while a line attributed to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer went unanswered.

Australia has faced a string of major data breaches in recent years, prompting calls for stronger privacy protections. The website includes an “opt-out” form allowing individuals to request removal of their data, though the effectiveness of such requests remains uncertain.