subject: Privacy Advocates Slam AT&T on Customer Records posted: Sun, 25 Jun 2006 11:36:33 +0100
[Well, you knew Big Brother was watching you - but did you know he
was watching your TV as well??? - "AT&T...collect[s] usage
information from subscribers, including the Web pages they view, the
programs they record, and the games they play" - and then hands this
information to the NSA. - Stu]
Privacy Advocates Slam AT&T on Customer Records
by Ritsuko Ando
Privacy advocates slammed AT&T Inc. on Thursday for declaring that it
owned its Internet and video customers' account information and could
hand the data over to law enforcement if needed.
AT&T on Wednesday updated its privacy policy, which came as the
company and other phone operators faced lawsuits claiming they aided
a U.S. government domestic spying program by inappropriately handing
over millions of call records.
"My understanding is that they will be monitoring television viewing
habits, and that it's a condition of service that customers can't opt
out of," said Paul Stephens, policy analyst at Privacy Rights
Clearinghouse.
"It's frightening," he said.
In the policy update, which applied to AT&T's more than 7 million
Internet and video customers, the company said it could collect usage
information from subscribers, including the Web pages they view, the
programs they record, and the games they play.
Customers must agree to the terms, which take effect on Friday,
before using AT&T's services. AT&T's previous policy guidelines did
not explicitly say the company owned customer data.
In its broader privacy guidelines, which apply to all retail
customers including phone clients, AT&T said it had an obligation to
help law enforcement and would act "strictly within the law and under
the most stringent conditions."
AT&T SHARES HOLD STEADY
Although the news riled privacy advocates, it did not have a big
impact on the company's shares. AT&T was down 0.4 percent at $27.23
in afternoon trade, similar to a 0.3 percent fall in Verizon
Communications Inc..
AT&T, Verizon, BellSouth Corp. and Comcast Corp. have been named by
media reports as having shared customer information with the National
Security Agency.
Some of the companies are also facing class action lawsuits and are
under scrutiny by privacy advocates.
AT&T said it began to review its privacy policy six months ago, and
the update was aimed at clarifying its practice and did not change
how it treats customer information.
But the American Civil Liberties Union said AT&T was trying to give
itself license to do what it wants with client data.
"By secretly providing customer data to the government outside of any
legal channel, AT&T has violated the privacy expectations of
Americans - not just the terms of some legalistic privacy policy, but
their basic expectations for how private communications will be
treated in America," said Barry Steinhardt, director of the ACLU's
Technology and Liberty Project, in a statement.
Sherwin Siy, staff counsel at the Electronic Privacy Information
Center, said AT&T had likely clarified its policy to protect itself
against further accusations.
"It's not protection for consumers but more a waiver of their
rights," he said.
AT&T was the first major phone company to explicitly state that it
owned customer records since the privacy issue was first raised in a
report by the USA Today in May.
Verizon said it updated its privacy policy in November 2005 and had
no imminent plans for change. The company said it must disclose
information to comply with court orders or subpoenas, and to protect
its rights or property.
Comcast said it reviews its policy on an annual basis.
"We do not sell customer information to third parties, and we do not
provide customer information in response to legal and law enforcement
requests without valid legal process, such as a subpoena or court
order," said Comcast spokeswoman Vibha Agrawal.
