Thank you Ed, I'll do the same. John
On Jul 5, 2013, at 2:31 PM, Ed Wiser <[email protected]> wrote: > I saw this email from AT&T this morning and thought I would share it I have > opt-out of AT&T sharing my data with Advertisers. > > > http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/att-plans-on-selling-your-data-to-advertisers-heres-how-to-opt-out?utm_source=macobserver&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_everything > > AT&T Plans on Selling Your Data to Advertisers, Here’s How to Opt-Out > > AT&T recently announced plans to start selling anonymized customer data to > advertisers. Heck, if the government gets it, why shouldn't advertisers have > it too, amiright? Up here! ::highfive:: > > After all, why should Facebook, Google, and Verizon get to have all the fun > parting us out to the highest bidder? If God had intended for us to have > privacy, she wouldn't have invented money. lolprivacyburn! ::highfive:: > > I joke because if I don't, I'll puke. > > What information, you ask? According to its privacy policy, the company is > collecting Web Browsing & Wireless Application Information, Location > Information, U-verse Information, in addition to account information and > Network Performance & Usage Information the company theoretically uses to > improve service. > > AT&T says it anonymizes and/or aggregates the data. In theory this means it > can't be traced to individuals, but forgive us if we have a skeptical > attitude about yet another company looking to profit off of our personal data. > > "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," the company said in an update to its > privacy policy. > > If this little development makes you as cranky as it makes me, you'll want to > know how to opt-out, which AT&T was gracious enough to grant us. Never mind > that, A.) this practice is absolute bull$&!#, and B.) that it should be > opt-in if it's going to exist at all. > > Fortunately, our friends at BGR noted that the opt-out mechanism went live > today. Hit that link, log in to your AT&T account (you'll need your phone > number and online password), and you'll get something that looks like this: > > > > Opt-Out! > > If you have more than one phone number on your account, they'll all be > listed. Check the "Check to Out-out" check box, and then Submit. You'll then > be taken to this page: > > > > Manage Your Privacy Choices > > U.S. corporations have lost their way on privacy, and U.S. regulators have > let them. There is a lot of good that a corporation with huge resources can > do with user data, but this business of profiting on it by merely selling it > is repugnant. > > Location services make our mapping apps work; geotagging on photos is useful > and cool; Google Now proactively finds information that we might need or want > based on our personal information; showing us things we might find > interesting based on our shopping or likes by comparing it to other people's > data is very useful; and to be honest, even targeted advertising has its > benefits to us, the consumer. > > There are many more examples of how companies can use personal information to > provide us with better services, but I am sick to death of companies who > profit by compiling profiles on us that would make George Orwell blush and > then auction them off to the highest bidder. > > In AT&T's case, there is no better services argument. This is simply about > AT&T making more money off us, its supposed customers. We don't get anything > out of it, and it does not benefit us. > > It's disgusting. > > > > _______________________________________________ > MacGroup mailing list > [email protected] > http://www.math.louisville.edu/mailman/listinfo/macgroup
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