sfgate.com
AT&T rewrites rules: Your data isn't yours
David Lazarus
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
On the face of the new AT&T "privacy" statement, AT&T 'customers' no longer have any privacy. Nor can they prevent AT&T making commercial use of the customer's personal - or commercial - data.AT&T has issued an updated privacy policy that takes effect Friday. The changes are significant because they appear to give the telecom giant more latitude when it comes to sharing customers' personal data with government officials.
The new policy says that AT&T -- not customers -- owns customers' confidential info and can use it "to protect its legitimate business interests, safeguard others, or respond to legal process."
The policy also indicates that AT&T will track the viewing habits of customers of its new video service -- something that cable and satellite providers are prohibited from doing.
Moreover, AT&T (formerly known as SBC) is requiring customers to agree to its updated privacy policy as a condition for service -- a new move that legal experts say will reduce customers' recourse for any future data sharing with government authorities or others.
... read on for more joy.
The statement is scary in ways that make me almost speechless. Almost.
They're playing semantic games, and may well get away with it until US Congress does something. This game is going to be a battle of the deep-pocket special interest groups.
EDIT: UserFriendly chips in ...