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story category AT&T Tells Us They're Revising TOS
In response to criticism of potential silencing of criticism...
(old news - 09:32AM Wednesday Oct 10 2007)
tags: business · telco · consumers · AT&T U-Verse · AT&T DSL Service
Last week there was quite a scuff-up over language contained in both Verizon and AT&T's terms of service hinting that they could cancel your service if you "damage the name or reputation of AT&T, or its parents, affiliates and subsidiaries." AT&T's Brad Mays contacted us to say the company will be reworking their TOS completely:
"I wanted to give you a quick update on the terms of service language you posted on last week. We are revising the terms of service to clarify our intent, and the language in question will be revised to reflect AT&T's respect for our customers’ right to express opinions and concerns over any matter they wish. We will also make clear that we do not terminate service because a customer expresses their opinion about AT&T."
Mays says he'll give us a heads-up on a revised statement as soon as it's available. AT&T insisted that the language was crafted primarily to tackle criminal efforts, not to silence customer criticism -- but the fact remains that consumer rights continue to be eroded by fuzzy lawyerspeak in service TOS.

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  7. AT&T Versus The State Of Connecticut
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Forums » AT&T Tells Us They're Revising TOS
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Post a:

MagMan
Life is simpler when you tell the truth.
Premium
join:2003-10-01
Westlake, OH
·AT&T Midwest
·AT&T Midwest

Smells like Bull

Mays says he'll give us a heads up on a revised statement as soon as it's available. AT&T insisted that the language was crafted primarily to tackle criminal efforts, not to silence customer criticism.

Ya right !!!
--
"The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end; there it is."
axus

join:2001-06-18
Washington, DC

Re: Smells like Bull

It makes sense, I think they'll improve their TOS. We'll see, of course! I believe that their financial incentive is to stop criminals and not critics. Their executives are probably more accustomed to criminals than critics, though.
nasadude

join:2001-10-05
Rockville, MD
·Comcast

lawyers being lawyers

Mays says he'll give us a heads up on a revised statement as soon as it's available. AT&T insisted that the language was crafted primarily to tackle criminal efforts, not to silence customer criticism.

no, it was written by lawyers to be as vague and broadly interpreted as possible so they could kick someone off for doing anything they don't like.

and they got caught.

en102
Canadian, eh?

join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA
·RoadRunner Cable
·DSL EXTREME

Re: lawyers being lawyers

said by nasadude See Profile :

Mays says he'll give us a heads up on a revised statement as soon as it's available. AT&T insisted that the language was crafted primarily to tackle criminal efforts, not to silence customer criticism.

no, it was written by lawyers to be as vague and broadly interpreted as possible so they could kick someone off for doing anything they don't like.

and they got caught.
I agree... make the terms vague and subject to interpretation, and AT&T can pretty much do what they want. If they make them specific, it will be a 5000 page document.
--
Canada = Hollywood North
lesopp

join:2001-06-27
Land O Lakes, FL

Re: lawyers being lawyers

"crafted primarily to tackle criminal efforts" whose?

Here's a thought for AT&T;

If someone is directing criminal activity towards your network why not seek law enforcement assistance to end it?
NightHawke

join:2002-02-28
Rockport, TX

TOS bulloney

I don't care if it was written with the finger of the Almighty, it's still being judgmental and discriminative.

A casual reminder that lawyers are human too, and we ALL screw up once in a while.

Some more often than others...

Second rule of holes: Don't.

ronpin
Imagine Reality

join:2002-12-06
Nirvana
·AT&T Southwest

Re: TOS bulloney

Revised TOS:
quote:
All AT&T policies are compliant with the revised Patriot Act of 2006. All actions by AT&T are therefore considered state secrets. No judicial actions shall be engaged in that compromise State Secrets. Therefore all patriots will comply with all AT&T policies pursuant and subject to Extraordinary Rendition to countries where re-education training will be offered to first-time offenders.

-- AT&T - Your World Delivered



--
50% of Americans vote - 30% are repugs -- do the math.

Doctor Four
My other vehicle is a TARDIS
Premium
join:2000-09-05
Dallas, TX
·AT&T U-Verse

Re: TOS bulloney

said by ronpin See Profile :

Revised TOS:
quote:
All AT&T policies are compliant with the revised Patriot Act of 2006. All actions by AT&T are therefore considered state secrets. No judicial actions shall be engaged in that compromise State Secrets. Therefore all patriots will comply with all AT&T policies pursuant and subject to Extraordinary Rendition to countries where re-education training will be offered to first-time offenders.

-- AT&T - Your World Delivered To The NSA



Fixed it for you
--
"The trouble with computers, of course, is that they are very sophisticated idiots." - Doctor Who (from Robot)

morbo
Complete Your Transaction

join:2002-01-22
00000
clubs:

something positive.

got to keep an eye on those overly ambitious lawyers.
gopnick

join:2005-01-07
Benton, AR
·Charter Pipeline
·AT&T DSL Service

It's hard to complain

It's hard to complain about this. Lawyers the whole world over try to be as vague as possible. The question is whether it would stand up in court. Clearly, the courts have not upheld a company's right to do business with whomever they choose, predominately due to discrimination concerns. For that reason, AT&T's TOS in this case are about as important in court as the part where they say consumers don't have a right to file a class action lawsuit... that would never be upheld in court.

Rick
Premium,MVM
join:2001-02-06
Waterbury, CT
clubs:

I think you have to give the benefit of the doubt

to AT&T on this one.
Certainly with the level of criticism they face here day in and day out..if they were going to cancel someone for that reason, this site would have picked up on that by now.

How all this winds up in the TOS and other disclosures is anyones guess. But undoubtedly it's some lawyers sitting around imagining the worst case scenario about everything and what it really all boils down to is the more they write..the more can be misconstrued as to it's original intent.
--
The Coyote captured the RR! Roadrunner Rick is now Comcastic!

ronpin
Imagine Reality

join:2002-12-06
Nirvana

...Now that wiretapping is beyond legal recourse...

So, the FCC refuses to even question the telcos about warrantless NSA wiretapping -- and AT&T then decides to change their TOS??? Great timing eh?
--
50% of Americans vote - 30% are repugs -- do the math.
gworkman7

join:2005-10-18
Vail, AZ

Let me be the first to say

AT&T is horrendous. I am forced to use their brand for cell to cell reasons at work. Dropped calls, inaudible calls, unreliable 3g (where it exists) and a completely overpriced service make me hate it on a daily basis.

MandyBerger

@jillyred.net

Get this story on the front page of Digg!

»digg.com/tech_news/AT_T_had_a_ch···ill_tell
jester121
Premium
join:2003-08-09
Lake Zurich, IL
·surpasshosting
·ViaTalk

:rolleyes:

said by Karl Bode See Profile :

but the fact remains that consumer rights continue to be eroded by fuzzy lawyerspeak in service TOS.
No, the "fact" doesn't remain. AT&T pointed out that they haven't ever invoked the clause, and you have no evidence that anyone's ever modified their behavior based on the policy.

Nice hyperbole, but I call bullshit.

insomniac84

join:2002-01-03
Schererville, IN

Invalidate the whole thing

They need to change the law so that these forced agreements are 100% invalidated if any part is illegal. They do that, and you can wave goodbye to all the crap they load into these forced terms.
Forums » AT&T Tells Us They're Revising TOS


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