Concerns Raised Over AT&T Privacy Policy

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/75684

DSLReports links to this article at washingtonpost.com :
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/22/AR2006062201742.html

I didn't really know where to post this. Basically if you're subscribed to their internet service, they can do whatever they want with your usage information. I hope that all the other providers don't follow and hopefully there will be enough backlash to change AT&T's mind.

 

[FoolKiller]

Does this apply to their phone serivice too? I have Cingular, which they own, and I am curious as to how this will work out for me.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

Does this apply to their phone serivice too? I have Cingular, which they own, and I am curious as to how this will work out for me.

I don't think so, unless the government tells them to hand over phone records and they change their terms of service.

 

[a6m5]

I was under the impression that Cingular bought the wireless end of AT&T, but was it the other way around?

As for the story, it concerns me very much. Today, it's to hunt down terrorists, which I support 100%. But with these things, pretty soon, they'll be going "We used same techinque to hunt for terrorists. It was very effective, so we should use it to hunt for these criminals". In time, you know it, they'll be watching regular people like you and me, but there's no problem, they'll say. If you don't do anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about.

Internet IMO is a mix of how books, radios and TVs used to be to us decade ago. If you were told in 1990 that your government was going to start keeping record of every books, magazine, TV/radio shows that you read, saw, heard, what would you have said? I'm being bit paranoid here, but I think it's for good reason.

 

[FoolKiller]

I was under the impression that Cingular bought the wireless end of AT&T, but was it the other way around?

Pay close attention because this can be confusing.

Cingular was part of what was once known as SBC Communications. Cingular, in order to become the largest cellular company bought AT&T Wireless from AT&T. So, all AT&T Wireless customers became Cingular customers. This included me.

Now, SBC Communications decided to buy the nearly bankrupt AT&T and everything they owned. So, AT&T no longer exists and the telecommunications world is dumbfounded because the people who started it all are gone (a case of government intervention gone awry). But in a move to preserve history, tradition, and everything we know about the telecommunications industry SBC decides to take on the AT&T name as well and become the new AT&T.

So, Cingular bought AT&T Wireless and then their parent company bought everything else and decided to become the new AT&T and the idea of changing Cingular's name back to AT&T Wireless is being toyed with.

So, yes, Cingular bought AT&T but now they have become AT&T. Makes complete and perfect sense, doesn't it?


It is kind of like the Atari of today is not really the Atari that started the video gaming industry as we know it, but everytime someone buys them they take on the name too in order to preserve history, thus taking on what I like to call the Atari curse - everyone using the Atari name has practically gone bankrupt.


I'm going to go nurse this headache I just created.

 

[a6m5]

I knew that SBC and AT&T were involved in some kind of merger, but this CLEARLY explains what happend for me. Thanks, man.

 

[FoolKiller]

I knew that SBC and AT&T were involved in some kind of merger, but this CLEARLY explains what happend for me. Thanks, man.

Yeah, when all this went on I was thinking, "God forbid you just keep your freaking name!"