Verizon Wants To Share Your Personal Information

hyades1 writes "Gizmodo reports that Verizon is sending out notification letters infested with virtually-indecipherable legalese. In their sneaky, underhanded way, they're informing you that you have 45 days to opt out of their plan to share your personal data with 'affiliates, agents and parent companies.' That data can include, but isn't limited to, 'services purchased (including specific calls you make and receive), billing info, technical info and location info.' If you view your statement on-line, you won't even get the letter. You'll have to access your account and view your messages. However, Read Write Web says the link provided there, called the 'Customer Proprietary Network Information Notice,' was listed as 'not available.' No doubt Verizon would like to reassure you that everyone they're going to hand your personal data over to will have your best interests at heart."

Comments

Re:Which Verizon?

[gEvil (beta)]

Replying to myself. Looks like it is Verizon Wireless. But it also looks like it's fairly easy to opt out of. You can either do it through your settings on the Verizon Wireless website, or via phone at 1-800-333-9956.

Re:boy am I glad

[ScrewMaster]

i have AT&T and they won't ever try to abuse me.

Ha ... I have Sprint and was going to say the same thing.

Bloodsuckers, all of them.

I found it:

[nukeade]

If you are a Verizon Wireless customer like me, the number to call to opt out is given in the actual legal document, here:

http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/globalText?contentType=Legal%20Notice&textId=181

It takes about two minutes.

~Ben

Re:I found it:

[Xayma]

In typical legalese fashion the letter contains contradictions:

Unless you provide us with notice that you wish to opt out within 30 days of us providing notice to you in your bill or through the mail, we will assume that you give us the right to share your CPNI with the authorized companies as described above.

Q4. How do I give my consent to share CPNI? A. Unless you provide us with notice that you wish to opt out within 45 days of receiving this letter, we will assume that you give us the right to share your CPNI with the authorized companies described above.

Its only a 50% difference after all.

Re:Frogs in boiling water

[7-Vodka]

Hey guess what? I can cancel with verizon right now before this takes effect and sign up with a company who doesn't do this (which I'm currently doing).

You cannot get Freedom of speech, privacy or your money back from outrageous taxes. Welcome to your big brother world.

Re:Oligarchy Only Slightly Better Than Monopoly

[Anonymous Coward]

Oligopoly, not oligarchy.

Re:Frogs in boiling water

[EddyPearson]

You mean a company like Phorm , who have been getting backing from both BT (THE telco out here) and the Gov't despite the exclusively bad press?

Direct link to opt out

[fructose]

I had to go through 3 websites/blogs before I got the direct link. So if you have Verizon and want to opt out directly, here you go.

https://ebillpay.verizonwireless.com/vzw/accountholder/profile/CPNISettings.action

This isn't new

[Mugsy69]

The court case resulting from the 2007 FCC regs requiring consumers to be able to opt to not have their information shared was finally decided on 2/19. That's what caused this notice to be sent. For more information check out this link to the EPIC website: http://epic.org/privacy/cpni/. It includes links to opt out for both Verizon and SBC.

Re:boy am I glad

[momerath2003]

About a month ago, I got a similar letter from AT&T describing how I could opt out of having my personal information shared with affiliates, etc.

When I called the number to opt out, I had to sit through sixty seconds of a computer verifying that yes, I was turning down all sorts of great offers etc.

not Verizon

[syrinx]

This is not about Verizon. It is about Verizon Wireless, which is a completely separate company (half owned by Verizon and half owned by Vodafone).

Re:Dah?

[maitai]

They've been doing it for a long time, when I signed up with Verizon in November it came with a piece of paper telling about the information sharing and how to opt out. This article seems at least 5 months to late.

Also, I did get a letter in December about it (but I'd opted out when I first signed up).

Personally, I give them kudos for even notifying me (at the signing of the contract even), and more so for the option to opt out (I've had other companies notify me, but no opt-out option, and it's rare that a company even notifies you, they just sell it).

Re:boy am I glad

[sdnoob]

About a month ago, I got a similar letter from AT&T describing how I could opt out ...

US Cellular did the same thing last year... IIRC, it was right after some sort of legislation or rules change that allowed them to share the data.

Opting out was painless, just had to call a number and it was automated... *however* people should have to opt *IN* not opt out.

But they told Congress...

[icebike]

So they apparently lied to congress:
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/ISPs-Try-To-Prevent-New-Opt-In-Only-Privacy-Law-97991

Verizon statement before Congress:

Verizon believes that before a company captures certain Internet-usage data for targeted or customized advertising purposes, it should obtain meaningful, affirmative consent from consumers." To get that meaningful consent, Tauke said, requires a) explaining to consumers exactly what kind of data are being collected and for what; b) treating a failure to consent as meaning no collection of data for "online behavioral marketing"; and c) consumers' ability to easily opt out if they initially agree but change their minds.

I shocked. Shocked! I tell you...

opt out

[suraklin]

From the comments at Gizmodo there was a post that explained how to opt out from your web account

Sign in to the Verizon website.
- On the red bar near the top, hover over "My Verizon." Click on "My Profile." (Don't go over to the sub-menu that pops up.)
- In the second section down, under Phone Controls, there's a link to "View/Edit Privacy (CPNI) Settings." Click on that.
- Voila! Click on the button that says "Don't share my CPNI." Remember to hit the save button before you leave.

I dunno

[Anonymous Coward]

I have prepaid service through T-Mobile, and I never have to worry about this sort of thing.

Why?

Because all they have on me is a name and a birth date. No address. No social security number. No drivers license number. No credit card number. Nothing. In fact, when I set up the phone they didn't ask for any proof of the validity of the birth date, nor if the name was even mine.

I can buy more minutes at any of their locations, paying cash, to ensure total anonymity.

It costs ten cents a minute. And ten cents a text too. But since I am not prone to lengthy or frequent phone conversations, I still wind up paying significantly less than I would for the cheapest monthly rate of any carrier.

I recommend it.

Re:Which Verizon?

[Anonymous Coward]

Thanks, I just did this. I had to log in, go to "My Profile" scroll down to the "Phone Controls" section, and then click the "View/Edit Privacy(CPNI) Settings"

As noted in the summary, the message center listed the Customer Proprietary Network Information Notice as Not Available.

Re:boy am I glad

[narcberry]

In the meantime, here's how to opt-out (taken from the mouth of FredicvsMaximvs from the article comments)

- Sign in to the Verizon website.
- On the red bar near the top, hover over "My Verizon." Click on "My Profile." (Don't go over to the sub-menu that pops up.)
- In the second section down, under Phone Controls, there's a link to "View/Edit Privacy (CPNI) Settings." Click on that.
- Voila! Click on the button that says "Don't share my CPNI." Remember to hit the save button before you leave.

That was not easy

[dcooper_db9]

First, when I logged in I browsed to the "Message Center". Most of the contract documents, including the "Customer Proprietary Network Information Notice" were unavailable. The reason they gave was:

Your Customer Proprietary Network Information Notice is available to view online if executed within the last 6 months.

After about 5 minutes of browsing I found how to get Verizon to stop sharing my personal calling information. The steps to change the setting are as follows:

1. Login to the account.
2. Click on "My Profile"
3. Scroll down to the "Phone Controls" section.
4. Click on "View/Edit Privacy(CPNI) Settings".
5. The privacy settings give you the option of changing permissions for a individual phone numbers or all phone numbers. Change the value from the default "OK to Share My CPNI" to "Don't Share My CPNI"

Re:Which Verizon?

[yuna49]

Nor does it seem to apply to my land-line phone or television services over FiOS. I don't see any settings in my Verizon account that relate to the issues discussed here.