Fergie's Tech Blog

AT&T Privacy Policy Overreaches, Lawyers Say

Robert Lemos writes on SecurityFocus:

A recent change to AT&T's privacy policy for broadband and video users is overbroad and likely will leave the courts or Congress to decide whether the company's practices are standard or sinister, legal experts said this week.

The policy change, which comes as the telecommunications giant is defending itself in court against multiple lawsuit stemming from its alleged cooperation with a surveillance program conducted by the National Security Agency, states that "while your Account Information may be personal to you, these records constitute business records that are owned by AT&T."

The language, if accepted by consumers and supported by the courts, could redraw the current lines in the battle between privacy advocates and companies that retain significant data on their customers, said Charles Kennedy, an attorney specializing in privacy law and Of Counsel at Morrison & Foerster.

posted by Fergie @ 6/30/2006 12:28:00 PM