Vermont Goes Opt-In, Corps Unhappy

jeffy124 writes: "Beginning Feb 15, a new Vermont consumer protection law takes effect requiring companies doing business with people in VT to require opt-in before they can sell/share that customer's personal information. Naturally, companies aren't happy, and trade groups are suing the state, claiming the law will raise costs of doing business and hurt consumers."

Comments

Hurt consumers?

[Sivar]

Ya, all sorts of horrible things happen to me when companies can't sell my personal information. :)

Re:Hurt consumers?

[bwalling]

I would be very upset if I stopped getting junk mail and dinner time phone calls. If my state did that, I'd probably sue them for the pain and suffering it would cause. You know, those people always have the best products.

Ask us?

[CoreyGH]

Can't they do some broad consumer review asking how we, the consumers, feel about being hurt by this? That way we can all say, "Yes it hurts; but getting a little dutch rub from Vermont law is preferable to being boiled in oil by corparate if(screw customer=makemoney) then exec(screw customer) policy . . ."

Those poor consumers

[Ed Avis]

Instead of adapting systems to meet the state's rules, they are warning that Vermont residents may be excluded en masse from the kinds of offers and information that data sharing allows.

Oh, how my heart bleeds for the deprived residents of Vermont.

I like it

[jchawk]

Here's something you can do to fight snail mail spam in your state. When you receive a piece of junk mail, open it and take out the pre-paid postage envelope. Now open a second piece of junk mail and take it's contents and stuff it into the first pre-paid envelope. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat with every piece of junk mail you get. Then take them and mail them back to the fuckers who sent them.

Think about it, they are paying twice to get 0 results. :-)

screwed up

[pubjames]

Naturally, companies aren't happy, and trade groups are suing the state, claiming the law will raise costs of doing business and hurt consumers.

I'm a bar owner and I've decided the sue the state because not serving beer to juniors makes them unhappy and is hurting my profits.

Take VT with Permission

[msheppard]

After VT passed the same sex marriage law recognition thing, there were people opposing it and putting big signs on their lawns reading:

TAKE VERMONT BACK

The folks who supported the decision wouldn't be out done, and started putting signs up which read

TAKE VERMONT FORWARD

I dunno what view this guy was supporting, probably a comment on the whole thing, he had a bumper sticker which read

TAKE VERMONT FROM BEHIND

Maybe the new slogan for this political move could be:

TAKE VERMONT WITH PERMISSION

Hilarious!

[kindbud]

And that's exactly what companies might do. Instead of adapting systems to meet the state's rules, they are warning that Vermont residents may be excluded en masse from the kinds of offers and information that data sharing allows.

Ooooo, I bet they're trembling in their boots in Vermont! Who wants to miss outon all those special offers?

These people (marketers) need to get out more. They think threatening NOT to send stuff to people is... well.. a threat (giggle, chortle, snort! :). That's one of the funniest things I have ever read!