In today’s online world, many companies are increasingly using customer data to help personalize and improve the products and services they offer consumers.
All of us are familiar with Facebook serving ads to its users based on common interests they have explicitly or implicitly documented on Facebook. And we know that Google collects information and uses that to provide us with information and ads.
In our own industry, Verizon uses anonymous and aggregate customer data to create marketing reports that help other companies better serve their customers.
At AT&T, we similarly plan to provide our customers with these sorts of personalized services and we’re committed to doing so in line with our longstanding policy to respect and protect our customers’ privacy.
Today, we posted an updated Privacy Policy that outlines a couple of new programs we plan to offer and, importantly, reasserts our privacy commitment. We are publishing this policy in a preview mode and we invite your comments and suggestions during our 30-day feedback period.
The new policy does a couple of things. First, we have tried to make it easier for our customers to understand the data we collect, how we use it, and how we protect it. Second, we have structured our policy in a manner that provides very straightforward consumer controls over the data we obtain from you or through your use of our services, websites and applications. Many of these changes are derived from customer research in which we asked customers how they want to hear about these topics.
We like to think about data and use of data in three large contexts:
Providing You Service and Improving Our Network and Services: We use network data to provide our voice, Internet and video services and to fix any issues that cause service problems. What do I mean? The network locates your mobile device to complete a call or to deliver the location-based services you want. We also check how our network is performing for you at various locations so we can improve those spots that need it. We use this type of information to make our products and services better, and as a guide to let you know about new AT&T products and services that you might like.
Personal Information: We know our customers care about privacy just as we do. So, we also worked to provide greater transparency and customer controls over how your data is used. We don’t sell your personal information, and we won’t use it (other than to provide and improve your services as discussed above) unless you tell us you want us to do that. For example, we offer an application called AT&T Alerts. It provides you great discounts on AT&T and AT&T partner products and services. It might send you a coupon if you happen to be near one of our partner retailers. But you have to sign up for AT&T Alerts to get the service. In other words, we use your personal information for this program only if you tell us in advance that you want us to do that.
Aggregate and Anonymous Data: This is data that can’t be tracked back to you individually. Here’s an easy example: After an election in your community, officials will release the final vote tally. They might say that 60 percent of the voters picked Candidate A and 40 percent picked Candidate B. That information is a type of aggregate and anonymous data. It’s “aggregate” because it combines information for the whole community telling you who the community as a whole voted for, and it is anonymous because the data doesn’t tell you who voted for which candidate. In the Internet world, aggregate and anonymous data can be used by retailers, advertisers and marketing companies to figure out what consumers want in a particular area. You benefit by having better products available and seeing advertising more relevant to your particular consumer segment.
The new programs we are introducing will use aggregate and anonymous data to create marketing and analytics reports, and to allow us to deliver more relevant advertising to our customers. In creating these programs, we wanted to make sure they fit with our privacy commitments. That’s why we also created consumer controls that will allow you to choose not to have your anonymous information included in these reports, and to choose not to receive the more relevant advertising if you don’t want it. To be clear, you will still receive the same number of ads, they just won’t be as relevant. Of critical importance to our customers is the fact that these programs are based on strictly anonymous information, and they are designed for insight into groups, not individuals.
You’ll find more detail in our Privacy Policy on these three broad categories of data, as well as the choices we give you to control how your data is used.
You’ll find our Privacy Policy and other explanatory materials about our new programs on our privacy website. We hope you’ll take a look at what we are doing and tell us what you think.
Ok. If I do not agree with this change. Will you let me andall my lines out of our contract?
You can always choose to opt-out of the two new programs outlined in the privacy policy. You can see an explanation of the programs here: http://www.att.com/Common/about_us/pdf/Privacy_Policy_Customer_Letter.pdf
If AT&T valued me as a customer, it would (1) ask customers to opt-in rather than opt-in (2) make it easier to opt-out–one has to go through the red tape for each device to opt out. Just another example of how our privacy in this country is continually being jeopardized by Big Business. These new programs do nothing to benefit customers, and everything to benefit AT&T and the businesses who will buy the metadata that AT&T will sell, while putting our privacy at risk. I strongly recommend that AT&T rethink its “Privacy” policy. I plan to opt-out of AT&T completely.
You do not provide a useful, meaningful way to opt out. Please don’t claim that you do.
You require that every single device be navigated through hoops to opt that specific device out.
You require that we allow you to store a persistent cookie of your choosing in our web browsers to opt out. No mention of how other HTTP clients, such as email clients, can opt out.
If you really did care about your customers, you would provide a way for us to opt out all traffic to/from our Uverse connection and our mobile devices in one easy setting. There is no technical reason why you cannot provide this, but there is a painfully obvious business reason: making it practical to opt out would result in customers opting out, and you don’t want that. That would mean less dollars for you.
So how do you actually opt out? There’s no clear instructions anywhere.
This company is getting worst and worst. First the network is horrible even on major cities like Century City, CA. And now this “Privacy” policy. Since you assume I want to be on a program that its making you money at cost of my privacy. It should be fair you let me “opt-out” out of the contract with out fees.
This opt out procedure is ridiculous and difficult to get to and implement for most users.
While you mention Facebook and Google, perhaps you should also note that Facebook is FREE to use, and that most people don’t PAY to use Google’s services either.
AT&T services, on the other hand, cost more than most comparable service providers in the developing or even third world.
i never opted in,
Does this mean I can end my contract then? I don’t want to have to jump through hoops just to be sure i’m not having all my data sold while I get zero benefit. Why should I have to pay you to end my contract over a change like this? Answer me that. You take our data, what’s in it for us for letting you use it? Nothing you profit and still charge us an arm and a leg. I have a feeling I’ll be changing carriers soon.
According to the web page, you have to opt our on every single device that touches AT&T. There is no “one touch” opt out. Brilliant…
seems like some more PRISM (NSA) type of Bull*** to me, on top of the .61 cents ATT added to my bill for admiinstrative cost for cell towers & etc. Yet, my service is slow and i have to pay more for a unreliable service
I guess since the Supreme Court said you are immune to litigation on privacy you have decided to go and sell MY information without my consent or compensation
This is unacceptable, the opt-out process is nearly impossible to navigate or use properly. I’d like to move my lines to another provider and end my contract, please give us instructions on how to exercise our right to terminate the contract with out penalty due to a significant change in TOS.
i’m over it.
I’m looking at dropping u-verse TV/Internet as I type. was the final nail in the coffin.
I’ve a few alternatives.
Use this link to opt out your lines. Thanks NEOGAF! http://att.com/cmpchoice
You can manage all your opt-out choices by visiting this page: http://att.com/yourchoices
This is total BS! Exactly why should I have to opt OUT of something that I do not want and which has zero benefits for me. Having my private info broadcast to the world should ALWAYS be an opt in.
Complete FAIL!
Please add ONE link where I can opt-out of ALL of the choices presented at http://att.com/yourchoices. I counted 15 choices (links) at that website, which is extremely overwhelming. My philosophy is that if I want something you have to offer, it should be my job/choice to go after it, rather than be hounded by the advertiser.
If your selling my information to make a profit, I deserve a cut. When can I expect to start receiving payment?
Wow, am I glad I dropped your service years ago! Don’t expect to see me coming back in the future, either.
you guys really make it hard for me to like you. Is t-mobile the only worthy carrier left in the US? I’ll be switching as soon as my contract is up. Tired of this random administrator fees and selling of my private info.
There should NOT be any tracking of anyone by any company. Anytime you create a database of information, it is subject to abuse. I personally do not want any of my data stored on any database for longer than to perhaps do a transaction. Then should be deleted and should not be linked to other info.
Look at the NSA – that is a perfect example of data tracking run amok. We DO NOT NEED IT!!!
The easiest way to opt-out appears to be changing service providers. I strongly suggest everyone reading this do so. Punishing AT&T by denying them revenue is the only to address this behavior.
I will be cancelling my service and advising my friends and family to do the same.
As you are offering through your two new programs, I would like to receive information about discounts on products that I am researching in the marketplace. So, I understand that by staying in this program, I authorize the release of that “browsing” information.
What I wish not to happen is to receive 100s of spam e-mails/text messages based upon the usage information the phone companies (and all of them do it) sell to vendors. How can you protect the private your users from such spamming?
Does AT&T sell specific text messaging addresses? If so, I would like the option to opt out of that list and that would solve the issue that concerns me.
Thank you AT&T for the opportunity to be heard. Advancements in technology can benefit us all if given the opportunity to contour our use of innovation in ways that respect our privacy.
I don’t have a problem if AT&T is _anonymously_ selling information about me–meaning, it has no direct correlation to me personally by name, address, telephone number, etc.
The problem I do have is how AT&T defines “anonymous” and how exactly the data is being “anonomized” to protect the privacy of its users. Perhaps that is the gist of the concern people have, and could be better addressed by AT&T PR.
In the meantime, I will likely “opt out” of this change until AT&T can more fully address how they sanitize their customers’ data for advertisers.
NO no no no stop this garbage guys .. back when you were actual AT&T”blue” you would have never done this and also given the NSA the finger .. STOP
My contract is up soon. Can’t wait to leave you.
You’re selling the our personal data to other companies, plain and simple. Just another way to profit to make a little more money. Please just tell the truth. Stop rambling on about how much you care about our privacy and us, as your customers. We are just profit margins for the rich folks who sit at the top of your corporation of excess and greed. Thank you. And of course it’s not ok with me but everyone else is doing it to and I need phone service.
Another example of a crappy company doing crappy things to its customers.
and while the entire country is still reeling from PRISM, AT&T says “you know what’s a great idea? Selling people’s private data AND FORCING THEM TO OPT OUT” OH THOSE 2 YEAR CONTACTS? Yea they don’t apply to us. Horrible company.
This getting downright adversarial.
Two of their adservers require you to install a permanent cookie, which means they still track you even you are expressly severing your relationship with them, and at least one of them, Adconion, cannot be opted out, notwithstanding ATT’s claims.
I want to opt out NOW. I will not pay any bills until an opt-out link/phone number/contact/directions are provided.
This is not what I want from my phone service. Disclosing my location data, even coarsely, is not acceptable.
Maybe we need legislation to prevent this kind of misappropriation of confidential customer data, since I almost didn’t notice that this was happening.
I did not fight for my country for 40 years so that my and others privacy could be used and abused by corporate America…and who knows who else. Consitituents should not have to opted out of anything — rather, they should be ASKED if their personal privacy data can be used and sold…and then the CONSTITUENTS should receive compensation if they so choose. By the way, after we opt out of AT&T’s new privacy program, what conclusive EVIDENCE is AT&T going to provide us as PROOF that we still aren’t having our personal privacy data sold to the highest bidder? By gthe way, who’s watching/monitoring AT&T…the former last monopoly known as TPC — i.e., the The Phone Company????
No customer should need to opt out of this service. As others have said, we should need to opt in. For those who do agree to this level of tracking, they should share in the profits made by AT&T as a result.
Consumers, why do we keep giving away for free things of value to these companies, such as our shopping habits?
AT&T can’t make enough money charging me $104 a month so I can use my iPhone? You now have to make money by selling data I generate just from using my phone, too? I guess it must be to make up for the revenue lost to giving away that data for free to the NSA. HOW DO I OPT OUT OF THIS NEW REVENUE MODEL?
The difference between the services that AT&T, Facebook, and Google offer is that Facebook & Google need those advertising profits in order to turn a profit. AT&T is already making a profit off of our bill payments. Verizon’s practices are just as unethical as AT&T’s plans.
To me, it seems like AT&T doesn’t really care about it’s customers. It will mine the records of it’s customers to the maximum of it’s capabilities in order to sell that information back to advertisers. You do not care about our privacy, you only care about profit, and you’ll exploit your customers to the maximum extent of what the law allows.
I understand that big data is big business. However, the examples you have given are not the same thing as what you are proposing. Facebook and Google are free services – they sell data as their means of profit. While there are still major concerns with that, it is a different scenario than AT&T, a service that I pay for, doing the same thing. A scenario where customers who opt in receive a discount on their bill seems appropriate.
However, there may be another way to make even more money. It seems to me that if Verizon currently sells data, then you have one hell of a competitive advantage, especially in light of the current concerns around data privacy. “AT&T, the only wireless provider that doesn’t sell your private data!” Sounds like one hell of a marketing campaign to me.
If you seriously think that this info is ‘strictly anonymous’ you’ve got to be joking. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2009/09/your-secrets-live-online-in-databases-of-ruin/ At least Facebook and Google aren’t charging their users for this ‘service’.
Opt out? You guys do understand how a business runs, right? Don’t give them your money, and they will starve for it. Then they will do what it takes to appear more appealing to the markets. Just look at T-Mobile.
You can’t be serious AT&T… it isn’t like we aren’t already being told by all of our friends to switch to Verizon or T-Mobile or Sprint or some of other phone company. This is so dumb. What the hell are you thinking?
AT&T: Is there even a single person who thinks your selling of private data is a good thing? How on Earth can a company do something 100 % of its customers hate?
One day, we are going to elect people who will put an end to the monopoly you and Verizon enjoy….but today is not that day.
Called in as soon as I heard the news and gave a very detailed argument. Upon taking the call the very nice customer service lady did not even know the privacy change I was calling to speak about. After a little education by myself and a few links we were able to establish a common understanding on the subject at hand and proceeded to discuss the particulars. As I was repeatedly given the run around as to why they could impose this upon me and others without an opt-in or being able to terminate the contract on the spot, her higher ups expressed the reason that there was no opt in as opposed to an opt out and an imposed stipulation of selling our privacy via a paid for service without cutting us a check and sharing the profits or allowing us to terminate our contracts immediately was because… I hope you’re all sitting down… most users would want this highjacking of their right to privacy while at&t profits off of a service they already an exorbitant amount for. Needless to say I almost flew off the handle at this absurd and condescending perspective, though I remained calm enough to address this statement as pure poppycock and followed with the suggestion of an opt-in being more beneficial to this new NO PRIVACY policy that we are clamoring for so we can further fill the pockets of at&t and not share in the wholesale auctioning of our paid for and private services.
What a shady thing to do to your customers AT&T.
I viewed the OPT-OUT page which was linked in a previous comment, and as I suspected it’s a long and cumbersome process to OPT-OUT of anything.
It’s set up to make the less savvy amongst us to just give up and give all their info to some data mining machine. Kind of predatory mentality if you ask me.
I would hope to see AT&T go bankrupt in the future as organizations such as this do not deserve to exist.
AT&T’s automatically causing customers to “opt in” so as to allow the sale of customer data reflects a complete disregard and contempt of its customers privacy interests. Had AT&T instead offered the option to affirmatively opt in, it would have reflected a respect for its customers privacy interests. The emperor has no clothes!
I agree with everyone who has posted a complaint. I am pissed that I can’t cancel my contract with AT$T until Feb., but they can sell me out now and make me jump through hoops, waste my time, have the nerve to call it a “privacy” policy, and I get the privilege of paying through the nose for this “service.”
It was wonderful to find out that only the account-holder can opt out everyone on the plan. I navigated through your junk website only to find out that, because I’m not the account-holder, I can’t opt out.
Y’all just don’t get it, do you? You constantly do things like this that anger your customers. They voice their opinions, but you keep at it. AT&T is the worst company in existence. You are over-priced for terrible service, make even the simplest tasks into nightmares, and you screw your customers every chance you get.
The second I can terminate my portion of the plan, I will be switching back to Sprint. They’re affordable, easy to work with and don’t make every interaction into a 45min ordeal.
Living with a relative who dropped uverse. Planned to buy my own when funds allowed. NOT!
Absurd!
Disturbing!
Disgusting!
I PAY you…you people don’t pay me – will be calling to opt-out of EVERYTHING including my CONTRACT
Why are businesses such trash buckets in this country???? You “people” have NO SOULS!
This should be illegal.
This is awful. You are going to lose a lot of customers over this.
We pay you for service, not to sell our information and get nothing back.
I think that is border line illegal or should be. I’ve deen a customer for a LOT of years I don’t want to change companies but I will.
I want to know how to opt out of my U-verse and business phone line. I have already done so for my AT&T Wireless account. I want to opt out of EVERYTHING connected to AT&T. If this will not be done, I will definitely change carriers. This is absurd, and probably illegal.
Absurd! AT&T should NOT be making money on my data – they make PLENTY of money from my wireless plan and the devices sold to me – and even though I have the latest devices and the more than adequate coverage that I pay for – the wireless coverage in my area is AWFUL. Why not concentrate on better coverage for the prices we are paying to AT&T? I’ve been with AT&T for over 15 years – if you want to keep me as a customer for the next 15, STOP doing this kind of crap and do something for those of us who PAY for the service. I would also prefer not to change companies, but I will….
Are they for real? I already get spammed relentlessly with spoofed ID numbers, now AT&T want to enhance that experience? I’ve been with AT&T on cell phone, DSL and UVerse. If I have to change carriers, I will.
If hadn’t just renewed my contract, I’d cancel my service right now. You guys are pigs.
Selling my private information to marketers doesn’t enhance my experience, it only erodes it but pads your top line. There are years of solid research proving this, you just choose to ignore it. My contract is up soon, I will choose to do business with a company that respects my privacy, not one that views my private actions as a commercial asset.
I’ve been with y’all for a long time and don’t want to change but after this I will I do not want my private sold to everybody. This is not right.
I find this opt-out behavior deceptive and awful. Shame on you…
If you change carriers, the new one will sell your information. If you think your monthly fee covers everything, you are wrong.
Wireless companies spend billions of dollars to build an infrastructure and provide you with phone & data whenever you want it. Here’s a chance to make some money so they don’t have to raise your rates.
Seriously, let the business do business.
This is grounds for cancelling a contract right? If not the $5 fee for late payments that went into effect on July 1 should work.
This is one of many reasons that I cancelled my service after 15 years in good standing. Marko, I’ll let the business do business, just without my money or private information.
Everyone and everything isn’t for sale. If you are, well that’s your problem. I am not.
This is disgusting. I have been with you for 13 years. Good bye AT&T, good bye for life.
Does this mean if we are under a Contract you can break it and raise our rates? As a 15+ years customer who has been happy and pleased with AT&T service, I have been loyal but I also will have to go to your competitor very soon.
What the hell are you going to do next to cause people to hate you even more than they do now ?
I’m looking around for another phone service. W
I agree with all the rest here. This is ridiculous. Now that I also found out AT&T is in with the NSA, none of our internet or phone is private. I just signed up 2 weeks ago and will be cancelling before my 30 days trial.
So they’re waiving our ETFs for not agreeing with this non-privacy policy then right?
So they’re waiving our ETFs then for this new non-privacy policy? Because I’m not staying around for this breech of my information.
I don’t like this any better than anyone here. In fact, I find it despicable, as I’ve always advocated for computing freedom. Quite importantly to me, there doesn’t seem to exist a link to where the actual updated privacy policy, in its full legalese glory, is (i.e. not the FAQ and not a blog entry and not a couple of dumbed-down blurbs explaining what AT&T thinks we public need to know about the changes). Sorry, but this is too obvious and I have yet to see a mention of it. We deserve to know what changes we most disagree with.
Voicing my disagreement with this policy +1
Should be opt-in – NOT opt-out
AT&T (intentionally) made the opt-out process onerous on the user by not offering a one-point OPT-OUT. Instead user has to go to each “program” with each device to opt-out. The average family probably has 5-6 devices, maybe more.
Program one (External Marketing and Analytics Reports) is “cookie-based” so if you don’t use cookies you can’t opt-out. If you delete cookies, you have to remember to opt-out AGAIN!
GMAB!
Surprised how few comments there are. Of course, ATT tried so slip this in under the radar so there is that.
I just found out about this, and am outraged by it. The default for these invasions of privacy should be ASK ME TO ALLOW rather than ASK ME TO DISALLOW
Should be Illegal. I pay you people $200 a month, but not for long now!