Just In Time

We cancelled our AT&T long distance home service, yesterday.

We don’t use it much; we tend to make our long distance calls via cell phone, as most people we call are “in network”. And our local landline provider was willing to provide us fallback long distance for much less.

Win, win… win:

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”.

Owns my data?

If this is “privacy”, bring on chastity.

It just gets better…

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.

Like the title says… just in time.

I regret, however, that I didn’t know this was coming. I’d have held off cancelling my AT&T service for 24 hours.

It would have been pleasant to have read the AT&T representative the riot act.

That doesn’t mean you can’t.