What The ??

Verizon is sharing your information……”including the quantity, technical configuration, type, destination, location, and amount of use of a customer’s telecommunications services purchased (including specific calls a customer makes and receives) and related local and toll billing information.” In other words, who you call, where you travel, how often, on what days, with what other VZW users, what stores you visit, how long, etc. It’s called CPNI or Customer Proprietary Network Information. You were notified either by small ass print on your bill, or a letter you most likely through away.

Every company you do business with “shares” your information(unless you “opt-out”) in order to tailor solicitations to something that, based on your history, you would probably buy.

This is different in that Verizon has a much broader amount of info on you than most companies. Where you are (home, work, trap house, church, mosque, where you shop), who you called, who called you, and if you have a pda/smartphone your online shopping, banking and porn preference.

Verizon says they only share information with their affiliates and 3rd party vendors, claiming that no “personal data” is shared…..so they say. But remember that whole “spygate” thing where the government was illegally tapping our phones to catch terrorists? Well in case you didn’t know, Verizon allowed the NSA to spy on it’s users 7 months BEFORE 9/11 according to USA Today.

There are two easy steps to keep eyes off of you:

• Turn GPS settings on your phone to “911 ONLY”.
• Call 1-800-333-9956 to “opt-out”. It’s an automated system, takes 2 minutes.

More info:

Endgadget
Skydeck