Grumpy Company Boycott: AT&T
Why? Because they just redesigned their privacy policy so that AT&T owns your confidential data. I always love it when companies violate our privacy and I love it even more when companies rewrite their privacy policy in order to better aid a government conducting illegal warrantless wiretaps.
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.
I hear “my way or the highway” is a great customer satisfaction model.
If you have no other telecom recourse in your area, it’s a contract of adhesion and void. If you do have another option in your area and you currently use AT&T, I urge you to switch. Qwest was the only domestic carrier to fight the government’s illegal requests. If you only long-distance, may I suggest Working Assets?
Update: I wanted to point out that if you are an AT&T customer and they change these terms on you and will not provide you service unless you agree to these new terms, this renders your contract void. This means that you can get out of your contract, regardless of the length, with no penalty whatsoever. In legal terms, they have voided the existing contract and given you a new contract offer (whose terms include taking on the terms of the previous contract). As they voided the previous agreement, there is no early termination fee to worry about.
Not that they won’t try, of course, but you can tell them to sit & spin… and know that the law is on your side. [fn1]
[fn1] This is not legal advice. Before taking action, be sure to consult your attorney. Who is not me. At all.
I’ve had a Cingular cellphone for 8 years. Like you I will be boycotting At&T, since Cingular is owned by AT&T, I will be cancelling my Cingular cellphone service this month.
How timely of them to make this change just when my contract expires!