AT&T has updated its privacy policy ahead of customer privacy lawsuits that are almost sure to follow the decision in the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s (EFF) class-action lawsuit against the newly reconstituted telecommunications giant. The decision in the EFF case, which asserts that AT&T allowed the National Security Agency (NSA) to tap into its data network without a warrant, is due tomorrow. AT&T is also believed to have participated in the Bush administration’s warrantless wiretapping program.
The new AT&T privacy policy places ownership of customer confidential information squarely in the hands of AT&T—not the customer—and is blunt in its hubris: “While your account information may be personal to you, these records constitute business records that are owned by AT&T. As such, AT&T may disclose such records to protect its legitimate business interests, safeguard others, or respond to legal process.”
David Lazarus, writing in the San Francisco Chronicle points out that AT&T will also track its customers’ viewing habits:
“The policy also indicates that AT&T will track the viewing habits of customers of its new video service—something that cable and satellite providers are prohibited from doing.”
Lazarus points out that AT&T is requiring all of its customers to agree to the new privacy policy as a term of service.
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