I sure the complaints came from the usual people... who don't know the difference between "unlisted" and "unpublished". What? Someone thinks Google has access to "super-private" phonebooks that no one else can access? (Now I have to wonder what's the real reason for dropping the "service".)

I can believe that this was the real reason. The support costs of personally explaining the situation to these angry people would be high.

I concur with Roger, it definitely makes sense terminating the service if it brings so much bad sentiments and costs.

It's a shame though, not that I've ever used it, but for the service to be cancelled just because of the unwittingness of some users.

Hey we have a new blog post now since mid-December! Fine!!

I suspect that complaints are not the only reason for removing it. There are many other Google features that I assume generate many complaints, but are not removed. Perhaps the reverse phone search elimination is related to Google's changed relationship with phone companies. Google also removed goog-411.

Google has removed or limited services or features after bad publicity.
• Google now blurs some features in streetview images
• Google claims to have stopped mapping wireless signals

Here is a sample of current Google features that are undesireable to many people. Google does not provide an official way to disable many of these.

Google web site:
• the Google cookie or its very long expiration

Web Search:
• Google suggest
• Google instant results
• SERP scrolling results
• the sidebar
• SERP links redirected through Google

Google Maps:
• street view images
• street view imaging or the street view vehicle

Google News:
• continuous updates
• fast flip

iGoogle:
• the sidebar
• continuous updates

Google Help:
• may require being logged into a Google account

Typing in a phone number (like my own) seems to still turn up all the other people who have that data somewhere on the WWW.

Nice to see Blogoscoped back in action :)