I received an envelope from my wireless carrier, Verizon, yesterday. It contains an updated customer agreement as well as a notice about Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI).
CPNI is their term for all the marketing information that they have collected on me over the term of my subscription. This information is typically shared with Verizon and its affiliates so that they can customize products. I can opt out of allowing them to share this information, except in the instance of complying with laws, court order or subpoena.
I am of course going to opt out, primarily because I don't want to give any sort of blanket ok to Verizon for anything, other than, "I pay my bill and you transfer my calls." Thats it. If you do not call the number listed in the notice, then Verizon is assuming that you are not opting out and will make all this information available to all its subsidiaries, marketing strategists and who knows what else falling under the Verizon umbrella. So be sure to call!
The reason I even bother to bring this up is because of a reprehensible senate bill trying to work its way out of congress that essentially gives carte blanche to wireless companies to do whatever they want with a customer's private information. This notification of CPNI confidentiality seems rather quaint in light of the circumstances. Even if the information is theoretically only provided upon a request from the Feds (notice I said request, not court order or subpoena) I still see this FISA legislation being used down the road as a substantial barrier to any sort of meaningful complaint resolution with Verizon, even in non-GWOT related issues.
Oh, and thanks Chris Dodd for being the only presidential candidate to show some backbone and principle in this matter.