If you subscribe to Verizon Wireless, you need to actively opt out of data sharing some time in the next six weeks or so. That is, of course, assuming you don’t want the firm to have the right to pass on details of the calls you make to other companies.

Those customers who still receive paper statements have recently received a pamphlet notifying them of a 45 day period to tell Verizon that they do not wish to have their data shared; failure to do so will be counted as agreeing to the sharing.

Unfortunately there are several problems with this process. First, the notices have enough legal jargon and small print that many will simply not bother to read them. Second, customers who get their statements online will not necessarily know about the notice. It’s listed in the messages section under ‘Customer Proprietary Network Information Notice’, but there are several reports that the relevant link is broken, making the notice itself impossible to view.

The Verizon Web site does have what appears to be the text of the notice in its legal information section. It lists the information which can be shared as:

Services purchased (including specific calls you make and receive), related local and toll billing information, the type, destination, technical configuration, location and amount of use of purchased services.

The information can only be shared with “affiliates, agents and parent companies” and not “unrelated third parties”. However, several reports have noted that companies can pay Verizon to become an affiliate, and there appears to be no guarantee a company wouldn’t do this solely to get its hands on the data.

It appears Verizon is acting entirely legally as long as customers do actually receive the notice. However, it’s certainly far from best practice and there’s a very strong argument that firms should not share such personal data unless a customer specifically gives them permission to do so, rather than merely failing to ask for an opt-out.

If you do want to opt-out of privacy sharing, it appears the best way to do so is by calling 1–800–333–9956 and following the recorded information.

Related:

Entry was posted on Monday, March 9th, 2009 at 3:22 pm under Legal.

Read more entries by John Lister.
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