waynemr
join:2002-01-28
Madison, WI
|  Has anyone tested cancellation because of new privacy policy
I am very happy with my AT&T DSL and phone service. I am not happy, though, with the newly changed policies regarding customer data. As such, I plan to cancel all of my AT&T services. Luckily I live in an urban area with 2 other decent broadband and phone-service options.
I am, however, concerned about the early-termination language in my DSL contract. Has anyone attempted to cancel their AT&T service because of the new policy changes? If so, have you had any issues with early termination?
Like I said, I feel that the AT&T phone and DSL services are great and I have had nothing but excellent service from them, but I cannot agree with their new policy changes. |
|
dslwanter
Why would I want DSL? I have FTTH
Premium
join:2002-12-16
Lowellville, OH | No. If you're not doing anything illegal then what do you have to worry about? |
|
ftthz
If love can kill hate can also save
join:2005-10-17 | I still say that protecting your rights is important... leting them take them away without even a fight is ... well when you want your rights guess you would do something about it. |
|
mik0r
Premium
join:2005-09-28
Ypsilanti, MI
1 edit | reply to waynemr
I Agree with ftthz. Giving up your rights without even putting up a fight is giving up everything that many patriots before us have given their lives, sweat, blood and tears for.
That's all I can say in relation to the privacy policy unfortunately. *shakes fist @ non-compete/non-disclosure agreement he signed* |
|
Obliteration
Premium
join:2005-09-18
Somewhere
| reply to waynemr
said by waynemr  :I am very happy with my AT&T DSL and phone service. I am not happy, though, with the newly changed policies regarding customer data. As such, I plan to cancel all of my AT&T services. Luckily I live in an urban area with 2 other decent broadband and phone-service options. I am, however, concerned about the early-termination language in my DSL contract. Has anyone attempted to cancel their AT&T service because of the new policy changes? If so, have you had any issues with early termination? Like I said, I feel that the AT&T phone and DSL services are great and I have had nothing but excellent service from them, but I cannot agree with their new policy changes. I'm curious as to know what changes were made. Can you point me to that info source? Thanks. |
|
dslwanter
Why would I want DSL? I have FTTH
Premium
join:2002-12-16
Lowellville, OH | reply to ftthz
Very true. But I would rather give up rights than have another 9/11. |
|
mik0r
Premium
join:2005-09-28
Ypsilanti, MI
1 edit | Without delving into a fierce political debate here, I agree we should be proactive in trying to prevent and uncover such plots, but within the constraints of the LAW and CONSTITUTION.
*sigh* |
|
Dennis
Premium,Mod
join:2001-01-26
Algonquin, IL
 ·AT&T Yahoo
Host:
Chicago
Users Find Hot Deals
Users find Hot Dea..
Requests for Hot D..
Home Repair & Impr..
| reply to dslwanter
said by dslwanter :Very true. But I would rather give up rights than have another 9/11. You forgot to thrown in "it's for the children"
Who decided that the two points were related somehow? Correlation is not causation, and there has never been proof that lack of information attributed to 9/11 in any way. If anything it was the inability of government agencies to properly distribute and cross reference the information they already had.
So yeah, let's give them more. That's just a great idea.
--
My Blog. Because I desperately need the acknowledgement of others.
Mainegirl and my Beer Review's
AT&T DSL |
|
lev
Napoleon is always right
Premium,Ex-mod 2002-08
join:2001-05-30
Chicago, IL
clubs:  | reply to waynemr
They're supposed to give you 30 days from the time that they annouced the change to cancel without Early Termination Fee, according to something I've read. Makes sense.
Give it a shot and let us know what happens for you. |
|
mik0r
Premium
join:2005-09-28
Ypsilanti, MI | *pats lev* we can always count on you to crack the whip and get us back on topic! :-D |
|
nwrickert
sand groper
Premium,MVM
join:2004-09-04
Geneva, IL | reply to ftthz
Your problem with rights is an argument between you and your government. Your ISP is sitting uncomfortably in the middle.
Changing ISPs won't protect your rights. The way you vote in the November elections is far more important. |
|
Mchart
Super Joe
join:2004-01-21
Gurnee, IL
·AT&T Yahoo
 ·RoadRunner Cable
| said by nwrickert :Your problem with rights is an argument between you and your government. Your ISP is sitting uncomfortably in the middle. Changing ISPs won't protect your rights. The way you vote in the November elections is far more important. I couldn't have said it any better. |
|
justbits
More fiber than ATT can handle
Premium
join:2003-01-08
Chicago, IL
·AT&T Midwest
| reply to Dennis
said by Dennis :If anything it was the inability of government agencies to properly distribute and cross reference the information they already had. So yeah, let's give them more. That's just a great idea. I agree... and maybe the politicians will claim that this initiative will eliminate child porn and terrorism as well as create thousands of new jobs (for more beaurocrats and technocrats) and increase demand in the technology sector (due to the government needing to buy faster computers and even more gobs of petabytes of disk space to store all the temporal data). 
--justbits |
|
dslwanter
Why would I want DSL? I have FTTH
Premium
join:2002-12-16
Lowellville, OH
·Armstrong Zoom In..
·AT&T Midwest
1 edit | reply to Dennis
Just my opinion. Like it love it or hate it. I don't argue politics or religion. Because everyone has their own opinion and what people feel is right varies from person to person.
Back on the DSL side of things let this guy cancel and do whatever he wants like lev says. More power to him.
--
"Whatsoever you do to the least of my people, that you do onto me!" Check out my internet radio station: »www.thebomb102.com |
|
richk_1957
If ..Then..Else
Premium
join:2001-04-11
Minas Tirith
| reply to dslwanter
said by dslwanter :Very true. But I would rather give up rights than have another 9/11. Not that I would want something like another 9/11
But the way they're going, it's outside of the laws of the land (LAW and CONSTITUTION). And we're not technically at war, so they can't just be put aside.
So, in this case, I would have to say yes, I would rather have a chance of another 9/11 than the extremes measures they are taking - they have no proof that what they are doing prevents anything |
|
braynes
Premium
join:2005-03-14
Waterville, ME
·Great Works Internet
·RoadRunner Cable
·Verizon Online DSL
| reply to waynemr
If they change the TOS,and they did you can cancel,you agreed to a different plan,and I support you.
Now as for the crap "if you are doing nothing wrong" I hope the poster GROWS up. when I go to bed with my wife I am doing nothing wrong so should I put it on the net, should I be monitored?
You sir are a fool.
Bruce |
|
Old_Grouch
Don't just sit there silly DO something
Premium
join:2004-05-26
Greenwood, IN
clubs:
·AT&T Midwest
| reply to waynemr
I hate to split hairs, but keep in mind that what changed were not the terms of service but the corporate privacy policy.
So?
Well, the TOS is what governs the business relationship between you (the consumer) and them (the provider) and changes to it might be something you can use to leverage your way out the door without penalty.
The privacy policy though is a pronouncement by SBCatt as to what data it collects from what individuals and how it uses that data. Keep in mind the privacy policy applies to customers and non-customers (web visitors) alike. From the updated policy: " This privacy policy addresses the privacy of AT&T retail customers and Web visitors in the United States."
You might have more luck terminating the business relationship without penalty if they change the ground rules for that relationship. Their decision to make a change in an earlier pronouncement though might be a bit more difficult to use.
They do give you a place to exercise your opinion:
"If you have questions or concerns regarding this policy, you should first contact us via e-mail at privacypolicy@att.com. If you do not receive acknowledgment of your inquiry or your inquiry is not satisfactorily addressed, you should then contact TRUSTe through the TRUSTe Watchdog Dispute Resolution Process and TRUSTe will serve as a liaison to resolve your concerns. " |
|
waynemr
join:2002-01-28
Madison, WI
| reply to waynemr
Actually, my specific reason for wanting to end my services with AT&T has nothing to do with anything about 9-11, NSA wiretaps, or anything like that. If the government really wants information, they will get it, and it is silly to think that these policy changes have anything to do with any existing lawsuits or newsworthy events about anti-terrorism.
AT&T's changes, I would suggest, have to do with making money. Their policy change is very dramatic, and I believe they will probably lose a non-trivial number of clients because of it. So why do it, if it will lose them money? Perhaps because they can make more money with it down the road. AT&T has some of the best lawyers in the world, and I am certain that the language in the policy, which holds that AT&T "owns" all of the data on its network means exactly what it says, regardless of what any customer service representative might like to frame it.
Just stop for a second and consider the ramifications of the ownership of all data. Could the contents of my email be up for sale? My browsing patterns, how about the secure data I transmit between my home and the office - data that is classified as private and protected by HIPAA, Sarbanes-Oxley, and FERPA? Yes, I do encrypt that data and transfer it encrypted, but technically under the new policy, AT&T owns it because I used their network. That is simply not going to work for me.
Heck, if I send a private email to a friend, which has my confidential information in it, and that friend uses AT&T - why should AT&T suddenly own it? The implications of the new policy change are frightening really.
Oh, and if you get TV service via AT&T, your channel surfing habits are the property of AT&T. Cable operations are restricted from collecting such info, so why should AT&T suddenly get a free pass? Because they are not a cable service, as defined by the FCC? Give me a break...
Anyway, please do not put words into my mouth. I am not going to drop my service because of anything to do with the NSA wiretapping stuff or any of the spin suggesting the AT&T policy change had to do with protecting itself from lawsuits. Their policy is about making money, or they would not be doing it. I do not agree with the ramification of their new claim to ownership of all of the data on their network.
Aside from my private move away from AT&T, I am also contacting my State representatives in WI and the public service commission to ensure that the new AT&T policy does not violate any WI regulations or policies for state contracts. I know that Wisconsin has some progressive laws on the books regarding this and the entire bit about dealing with protected data from HIPAA, Sarbanes-Oxley, and FERPA might be a real interesting thing.
Will AT&T provide the State with the list of names of all people who have access to the data they "own" that is protected and being transmitted over their networks? If not, I wonder if the State can even use AT&T networks to transmit *any* protected information?
Food for thought, folks... |
|
NewMariner
join:2005-06-24 | reply to waynemr
I dont see anything outlandishly different then any previous privacy policy. They are a little more open about the records being their records...but thats nothing new..They have ALWAYS been their records.. |
|
odreian615
join:2006-01-18
Chicago, IL
1 edit | reply to waynemr
Comcast will start doing this after SEP 1st but will only keep records for 180 days |
|
