AT&T wants to sell your private data if you don't tell them otherwise.

[joako]

Got this lovely email today stating that if I do nothing in 33 days I will have "agreed" to AT&T selling my CPNI. CPNI is private details such as your service features, call detail records, billing records, etc. CPNI is defied by law and by law telephone companies are required to keep this data private. Apparantly AT&T has found a loophole where you "agree" to share this information unless you tell them otherwise.

Dear joako,

Regarding Your Account: xxxxxxxx0000

The protection of our customers' privacy is of utmost importance to the employees and management of the AT&T family of companies (AT&T)*. Please take a moment to read the following important message about the privacy of your customer information.

AT&T companies that provide telecommunications and interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service (which permits VoIP customers to both send and receive calls to/from customers with traditional telephone/telecommunications service) would like to share your customer proprietary network information within the AT&T family of companies for our own marketing purposes, including using that information to offer you additional products and services.

What is CPNI? Your CPNI includes the types of telecommunications and interconnected VoIP services you currently purchase, how you use them and the related billing for those services. CPNI does not include your telephone number, your name or your address. Protecting the confidentiality of your CPNI is your right and our duty under federal law. As an AT&T customer, you can restrict the use of your CPNI even within the AT&T family of companies.

To allow AT&T to use your CPNI, no further action is required. AT&T will not use your CPNI to offer you other products and services until at least 33 days after this notice was mailed to you. AT&T and our authorized agents will not sell, trade or share your CPNI with anyone other than those who are in the AT&T family of companies or are AT&T authorized agents, unless required by law.

If at any time you would prefer that AT&T not use your CPNI to offer you additional products and services, you may:
- Click here to submit your request electronically https://www.att.com/ecpnioptout/InitiateCPNIForm.action
- Call 1.800.315.8303 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and follow the prompts
- Call 1.800.288.2020 and speak to a service representative

Your decision to permit or restrict the use of CPNI will remain in effect until you decide to change it - which you can do at any time without charge. Restricting our use of your CPNI will not affect the provision of any AT&T products or services to which you currently subscribe, nor will it eliminate other types of marketing contacts.

Thank you for choosing AT&T. We appreciate your business.

*The AT&T family of companies are those AT&T companies that provide communications-related products and/or services, including the AT&T local and long distance companies, AT&T Corp., AT&T Long Distance, AT&T Internet Services, AT&T Mobility, and other subsidiaries or affiliates of AT&T Inc. that provide, design, market or sell these products and/or services.

Thank you,
AT&T Online Services
www.att.com

[neo28340]

Those crooked people.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S2 on the AT&T Network.

[veriztd]

What is crooked if they advise customers at least 30 days in advance along with a link to opt out?

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

[Morphling27]

What is crooked if they advise customers at least 30 days in advance along with a link to opt out?

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

The fact that you first have to 'opt out'. You should only be able to 'opt in' to this type of thing. You find this OK? You pay ATT money for a service and they make a profit. I'm not against that and if you as a consumer agree to it, that's fine too.

It's when these companies do these really gray area issues it gets to be a problem. You agreed that they weren't going to give it out, period. Now, they probably have some very good lawyers who said if you have them agree, it's all totally fine. So, now you as a consumer, have to do more work 'opting out' and if you don't, ATT gets to sell your info to make EVEN MORE PROFIT.

So, in essence, you're totally ok with ATT taking your valuable informationg, making you do more work to protect it, and if you don't, they get to make more money with you seeing not a dime of it. Cool.

[johnhere]

Companies shouldn't be able to sell info period. If I want a company to get my info I'll solicit them and provide it. Now if selling my info meant keeping an unlimited data plan or a discount on my bill, then I would reconsider.

[groundhog5886]

Where does one see that AT&T is "Selling" the information. It appears from the OP, that they want to share his information with other AT&T companies only. No where does it say your information is being shared with a non-at&t affiliate. I'm kinda suprised that they even notified him of the request. I would think if you did business with one AT&T company, then you were "IN", and all the AT&T companies would have your info.

[formercanuck]

I think you mean "Wants to sell" not "Wasnt to sell"

[veriztd]

The fact that you first have to 'opt out'. You should only be able to 'opt in' to this type of thing. You find this OK?

Yes, when getting notification at least 30 days in advance and an option to opt out, I would have no trouble with that.

[quagmire]

It's actually a good thing that AT&T is doing here. Most privacy notices I have received have told me that I cannot opt out of intra-company sharing of information, only the sharing of information with third parties. For example, check out the Bank of America's privacy policy:
https://www.bankofamerica.com/privac...acysecur_cnsmr
They won't let you opt of sharing information with their affiliate companies. AT&T will.

[i0wnj00]

It sounds like I have to wait for this letter/email regarding this issue in order to opt out. Geez

[veriztd]

Typically, such changes are done region by region and not all markets at the same time.

Since not all customers have the same bill cycle, At&t has to send notices in at least 30 days in advance which might account why some have not gotten the notice.

[joako]

It sounds like I have to wait for this letter/email regarding this issue in order to opt out. Geez

Visit the link: https://www.att.com/ecpnioptout/InitiateCPNIForm.action

AT&T has made it harder than it should be to opt out. You simply input your account details there.

[i0wnj00]

Visit the link: https://www.att.com/ecpnioptout/InitiateCPNIForm.action

AT&T has made it harder than it should be to opt out. You simply input your account details there.

Got it, I used the wrong zip code so I ended up with a "We're Having Trouble Processing Your CPNI Request". Used the right one and the request went through.

[veriztd]

AT&T has made it harder than it should be to opt out. You simply input your account details there.

Maybe I missed something but the link you posted looks simple and straight forward.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

[Barry ATL]

Everybody may not get this notice. If you have an AT&T landline, you made this decision years ago. It is part of the breakup of the original AT&T. When you call AT&T landline the rep asks for permission to look at your records to discuss other products and services with you. Basically, the regulated side cannot look at the non-regulated side without your permission. Over the years that opt in mentality has changed to opt out.

The only thing this is used for is to not let wireless use your records from landline to offer you a better deal on a bundle. Personally, I want them to use all of my records to offer me the best deal possible. They are NOT selling your information to a 3rd party company.

This is much-a-do about nothing.