AT&T rewrites rules: Your data isn’t yours

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that AT&T has issued an updated privacy policy that appears to give them more latitude when it comes to sharing customers’ personal data with government officials. In fact, it states outright that customers’ personal data belongs to AT&T, not customers:

“While your account information may be personal to you, these records constitute business records that are owned by AT&T,” the new policy declares. “As such, AT&T may disclose such records to protect its legitimate business interests, safeguard others, or respond to legal process.”

It says the company “may disclose your information in response to subpoenas, court orders, or other legal process,” omitting the earlier language about such processes being “required and/or permitted by law.”

The article details many similar changes in the privacy policy, including this key difference:

The 2004 policy…said AT&T realizes “that privacy is an important issue for our customers and members.”

The new policy makes no such acknowledgment.

[via Pogo Was Right]