Paying AT&T Extra for Privacy a 'Benefit,' Claims Company As the FCC has started crafting tougher broadband privacy rules, AT&T's practice of charging U-Verse broadband customers a steep premium if they try to opt out snoopvertising has been drawing more attention. As we noted a few years ago, AT&T charges its U-Verse broadband customers $30 or more per month extra if they want to opt out of AT&T's Internet Preferences program, which uses deep-packet inspection to track and monetize user behavior around the Internet. The opting out process is both confusing and time consuming.

AT&T's decision to turn privacy into a luxury option is believed to be one of the things that prompted the FCC's push for tougher privacy rules, but if you ask AT&T, the behavior is a huge boon to consumers. The Consumerist notes how AT&T lobbyist Jacquelyne Flemming recently tried to defend the behavior at an industry conference, once again trying to pretend that paying more per month to have your privacy respected was some kind of discount: quote: “We, AT&T, have a broadband Internet access service that we market to customers that if you agree, if you opt-in, to the use of your data for various reasons, then you get a discount,” Flemming continued. “That doesn’t mean that other people who don’t get the discount are paying for privacy. I wouldn’t say that,” she explained, even though that is in fact actually the case. Tomato, tomaaahto, huh? The reality is that if AT&T charges you $70 for broadband with deep packet inspection and snoopvertising, you'll pay $100 (or more) just to opt out. And again, the process of opting out quote: "I think that there is a benefit to the customer,” Flemming finished, “and it’s not as if we’re talking [all] broadband Internet access services, of which there are a wide range of them that are available to customers. In this particular instance, if you like to get this benefit, then there is a reciprocal benefit to the customer and the company.” Of course many AT&T U-Verse customers may not have many competitive alternatives, and that may not matter anyway if AT&T's practice of charging a premium for privacy becomes industry standard practice. It's precisely for this reason that the FCC feels consumers need better broadband privacy protections. Well, that and the minor fact that AT&T and Verizon were caught Tomato, tomaaahto, huh? The reality is that if AT&T charges you $70 for broadband with deep packet inspection and snoopvertising, you'll pay $100 (or more) just to opt out. And again, the process of opting out is intentionally designed to be confusing , if you can find it in the first place. Yet Flemming proceeded to insist that this was a "benefit" to the consumer, while implying users can just switch broadband carriers if they don't like it:Of course many AT&T U-Verse customers may not have many competitive alternatives, and that may not matter anyway if AT&T's practice of charging a premium for privacy becomes industry standard practice. It's precisely for this reason that the FCC feels consumers need better broadband privacy protections. Well, that and the minor fact that AT&T and Verizon were caught modifying user packets to ignore consumer preferences and track behavior and build detailed marketing profiles. In other words, the FCC's pursuing tougher consumer broadband privacy protections precisely because AT&T and Verizon just couldn't help but press their luck, either by making privacy a premium option, or by secretly tracking user behavior around the Internet. All for your benefit, of course.







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cabana

Department of Adjustments

Mod

join:2000-07-07

New York, NY 5 recommendations cabana Mod Sniff you very much



You aren't going to give up cellphones are you? So ... where is the potential for consumers to really be able to make a stand.



Anyone really going to boycott your cellphone provider ... especially when there are few choices and dwindling opportunities to survive internet free even if you were willing to forgo social media and emoticon ecstasy?



Does the fact that I just googled the word "ecstasy" to find the proper spelling now mean the feds have been alerted to my potential drug habit?



So really ... what is the choice here? Bend over and let them sniff my actual hind end? ... Yes *ewwwwe ... but you know what ... electronic sniffing is just about as invasive imo.



Do you really need to log that I found an itch somewhere and now I want to find a way to treat it. Oh look I googled my symptoms and now I am getting ads for "hazmat suits are us".



Or number one son ... has decided to explore the world of "mammary glands" ... love seeing a Pr0n ad show up in the middle of my work meeting.



And how many pages of teeny tiny print can one person try to decipher? My cellphone contracts really do need to come with a law book attached. Or ... just be up front "all your base DATA belong to us"...



AND YET ...



Ironically ... I keep getting invitations to become a Time Warner Cable subscriber ... and an ATT customer ... blink blink ... ummm ... been your customer for years.



May I suggest if you really are going to do all of that sniffing ... you at least intelligently assault my inbox. Cellphones are like ... crack. You are addicted. You will do anything to keep that service on and stay connected to the "others".You aren't going to give up cellphones are you? So ... where is the potential for consumers to really be able to make a stand.Anyone really going to boycott your cellphone provider ... especially when there are few choices and dwindling opportunities to survive internet free even if you were willing to forgo social media and emoticon ecstasy?Does the fact that I just googled the word "ecstasy" to find the proper spelling now mean the feds have been alerted to my potential drug habit?So really ... what is the choice here? Bend over and let them sniff my actual hind end? ... Yes *ewwwwe ... but you know what ... electronic sniffing is just about as invasive imo.Do you really need to log that I found an itch somewhere and now I want to find a way to treat it. Oh look I googled my symptoms and now I am getting ads for "hazmat suits are us".Or number one son ... has decided to explore the world of "mammary glands" ... love seeing a Pr0n ad show up in the middle of my work meeting.And how many pages of teeny tiny print can one person try to decipher? My cellphone contracts really do need to come with a law book attached. Or ... just be up front "all yourDATA belong to us"...AND YET ...Ironically ... I keep getting invitations to become a Time Warner Cable subscriber ... and an ATT customer ... blink blink ... ummm ... been your customer for years.May I suggest if you really are going to do all of that sniffing ... you at least intelligently assault my inbox.