Sidney
15th June 2013, 14:00
I wanted to post this, because, I think it interesting, the statistics they use, as the manipulating force behind their justifications. They pretty much say we gave permission without coming out and saying it.
Did the poll specifically ask those thousand people if it would be ok for the government to randomly listen in on anyone at anytime? I think not. This is just one article out of many on this issue, but I haven't seen a whole lot of It jblame, pointing to Verizon for not standing up and saying no. This is not all phone companies (yet). It just seems there might be some sort of privacy policy that could get the ball rolling on the Verizon end, and focus away from the Goverment end of it for a moment.
http://www.cio.com/article/734697/Rights_Groups_Ask_US_Spy_Court_for_Justification_of_Verizon_Order
Another angle to this is, has verizon violated their privacy policies, and can customers dodge their contracts on behalf of this deceit. These are just questions in my head I woke up with this morning, and wanted to maybe gather some thoughts regarding, the rights as a Verizon customer, how this could be handled inside the corporate barriers. If enough customers could get out of their contracts, that would be bad news for Verizon.
Rights Groups Ask US Spy Court for Justification of Verizon Order
New research, however, suggests people in the U.S. are willing to compromise privacy for security
Add a comment By John Ribeiro
Tue, June 11, 2013 inShare1
IDG News Service (Bangalore Bureau) — Civil rights groups have asked the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) for the legal justification of the U.S. government's surveillance of Verizon's customer records.
Results of a national survey by Pew Research released Monday, however, suggest that most people in the U.S. are willing to sacrifice privacy if it will help the government investigate terrorism.
The order of the FISC court, published last week by the Guardian newspaper in the U.K., authorized the U.S. National Security Agency to collect so-called telephony metadata from customers of Verizon in the U.S. The order was later confirmed by the Director of National Intelligence, James R. Clapper.
The metadata includes communications routing information such as session-identifying information, trunk identifier, telephone calling card numbers, and time and duration of call, according to the document. It does not, however, contain the content of a communication, or the name, address, and financial information of the customer. The requirement to turn in metadata applies to calls within the U.S., and calls between the U.S. and abroad.
The FISC was set up in 1978 by the U.S. Congress as a special court to review applications for warrants related to national security investigations.(
Separate reports have also alleged that the NSA has real-time access to content on the servers of Google, Facebook, and other Internet companies as part of another surveillance program. The companies have denied their participation.
U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday called for a public debate on the tradeoff between privacy and security.
The American Civil Liberties Union and Yale Law School's Media Freedom and Information Clinic on Monday filed a motion before the FISC, requesting that it publish its opinions on the meaning, scope and constitutionality of Section 215 of the Patriot Act, which they say forms the basis of the order on Verizon.
The section allows the director of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation to obtain secret court orders from the FISC that compel third parties to produce "any tangible things" relevant to authorized foreign intelligence or terrorism investigations, according to the motion.
As the orders are accompanied by a "gag order" that prohibit recipients from revealing that they even received a demand for records, "Americans know very little about the authority the government has claimed under Section 215 and the extent of the records acquired by the government under these orders," Patrick C. Toomey, fellow of ACLU's national security project wrote in a blog post on Monday.
"The public is entitled to know the legal basis for such a program and the legal interpretation of Section 215 that supports the government's demand for a complete log of all our phone calls," Toomey wrote, describing the FISC opinions as a first step in a public discussion on the surveillance powers asserted by the government. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides for public access to judicial proceedings and records but for some exclusions.
The disclosure of the order authorizing the collection of Verizon call records has already lead to court actions, as it is being seen by rights groups as evidence that the U.S. government is using a secret and broad interpretation of surveillance laws.
Larry Klayman, the founder of watchdog websites Judicial Watch and Freedom Watch and a former Department of Justice prosecutor, filed a lawsuit Friday in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia over the Verizon order, alleging that the surveillance violates the First, Fourth and Fifth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder are among the defendants in the case.
Pew Research Center, however, reported Monday that 56 percent of a sample of 1,004 adults, 18 years of age or older, living in the continental U.S. said the NSA's tracking of telephone records of millions of Americans is "an acceptable way for the government to investigate terrorism." 41 percent said it was unacceptable.
The percentage of people who are willing to compromise personal privacy if it will help the federal government investigate terrorist threats is 62 percent, according to the survey by Pew Research and The Washington Post.
John Ribeiro covers outsourcing and general technology breaking news from India for The IDG News Service. Follow John on Twitter at @Johnribeiro. John's e-mail address is john_ribeiro@idg.com
****************************************************************************
Verizon Privacy Policy
Verizon is Committed to Protecting Your Privacy
Protecting our customers' privacy is an important priority at Verizon and we are committed to maintaining strong and meaningful privacy protections for customers. Our privacy policy is designed to inform you about the information we collect, how we use it, and your options with regard to that collection and use. Key elements of our full privacy policy are summarized below.
Verizon's privacy policy applies to customers of the Verizon family of companies in the United States and to visitors to Verizon websites. It does not apply to Verizon Business customers outside the United States.
Read more
Information We Collect and How We Use It
Verizon collects and uses information about our customers and website visitors for a variety of purposes. Information is obtained when you interact with us, when you use our products and services, and when you visit our websites.
This information is used to deliver, provide, and repair products or services; establish and maintain customer accounts and billing records; contact you about our products and services and better direct specific offers or promotions to you; monitor website statistics; manage and protect our networks; monitor our customer service employees; and establish your online account. Information may also be aggregated or anonymized for business and marketing uses by us or by third parties.
We may also obtain consumer information such as demographic and interest data from outside companies who provide such data. We use this data and combine it with other information we have to help us predict customer preferences and to direct marketing offers.
Read more
Information Provided to or Used by Third-Party Advertisers
You may see third-party advertisements on some Verizon websites, services, or devices. In some instances, third-party advertisers seek to provide advertising that they believe is more relevant to your interests. In these instances, cookies may be placed and used by advertising companies to collect information about your visit to our websites and may be combined with similar information obtained from other websites. We also may provide third-party advertisers with geographic or demographic information that allows them to tailor their ads. This information does not identify you individually. You have choices about how to limit the use of your information.
Read more
Information We Share
Within the Verizon Family of Companies:
Verizon shares customer information within our family of companies for operational purposes. We also share customer information within our family of companies for our own marketing purposes unless you advise us not to. Specific laws govern our sharing and use of certain customer information known as Customer Proprietary Network Information.
Read more
Outside the Verizon Family of Companies:
Except in certain circumstances explained in our Privacy Policy, in privacy policies for specific services, or in agreements with our customers, Verizon does not sell, license or share information that individually identifies our customers with others outside of Verizon for non-Verizon purposes without your consent. We may share information with our vendors and partners for business purposes and to the extent reasonably necessary for them to perform work on our behalf. Verizon may also share certain information with outside companies to assist with the delivery of advertising campaigns or preparing and sharing aggregate business and marketing reports.
Read more
How to Limit the Sharing and Use of Your Information
Your Choices
Customer Information:
You may choose to opt out of the sharing of specific customer information, within the Verizon family of companies for certain marketing purposes.
Read more
Telemarketing:
You may request to be removed from the Verizon telemarketing lists at any time.
Read more
Marketing Email, Postal Mail and Door-to-Door Calls:
You may opt out of receiving marketing-related emails, text messages, or postal mailings or prevent door-to-door marketing.
Read more
Information Used for Online Advertising:
You have choices about whether certain information collected on websites, including Verizon's, is used to customize advertising based on predictions generated from your visits over time and across different websites.
Read more
Wireless Location Services:
Verizon Wireless services that use mobile device location data provide you with notice about the collection and use of this data as well as choices about whether specific location-tracking features available on your phone are turned on.
Read more
FiOS TV Services:
Specific cable-related privacy protections apply to Verizon's FiOS TV subscribers.
Read more
Geographic and Relevant Mobile Advertising:
Verizon wireline Internet access customers may opt-out of participating in certain geographically-based advertising programs. Verizon Wireless Internet customers may opt-out of participating in relevant mobile advertising programs.
Read more
Business and Marketing Reports:
Verizon Wireless customers may opt-out of allowing Verizon Wireless to use their information to create aggregated business and marketing reports.
Read more
Parental Controls:
Age-based content controls are available for parents of Verizon's Internet, Wireless and TV services.
Read more
Information Security
Verizon has technical, administrative and physical safeguards in place to help protect against unauthorized access to, use or disclosure of customer information we maintain.
Read more
Contact Information
If you have questions, concerns or suggestions related to our Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, you may contact us at:
Verizon Privacy Office
1320 North Courthouse Road
9th Floor
Arlington, VA 22201
Fax: 703-351-3669
Email: privacyoffice@verizon.com
Accessing and Updating Your Information
You may correct inaccuracies in your information by calling a customer service representative or by accessing your online account and updating your information.
Read more
Changes to the Privacy Policy
If Verizon elects to use or disclose information that identifies you as an individual in a manner that is materially different from that stated in our policy at the time we collected that information from you, we will give you a choice regarding such use or disclosure by appropriate means, which may include use of an opt-out mechanism.
Read more
Verizon is a licensee of the TRUSTe Privacy Program.
Read more
Updated September 2011
Did the poll specifically ask those thousand people if it would be ok for the government to randomly listen in on anyone at anytime? I think not. This is just one article out of many on this issue, but I haven't seen a whole lot of It jblame, pointing to Verizon for not standing up and saying no. This is not all phone companies (yet). It just seems there might be some sort of privacy policy that could get the ball rolling on the Verizon end, and focus away from the Goverment end of it for a moment.
http://www.cio.com/article/734697/Rights_Groups_Ask_US_Spy_Court_for_Justification_of_Verizon_Order
Another angle to this is, has verizon violated their privacy policies, and can customers dodge their contracts on behalf of this deceit. These are just questions in my head I woke up with this morning, and wanted to maybe gather some thoughts regarding, the rights as a Verizon customer, how this could be handled inside the corporate barriers. If enough customers could get out of their contracts, that would be bad news for Verizon.
Rights Groups Ask US Spy Court for Justification of Verizon Order
New research, however, suggests people in the U.S. are willing to compromise privacy for security
Add a comment By John Ribeiro
Tue, June 11, 2013 inShare1
IDG News Service (Bangalore Bureau) — Civil rights groups have asked the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) for the legal justification of the U.S. government's surveillance of Verizon's customer records.
Results of a national survey by Pew Research released Monday, however, suggest that most people in the U.S. are willing to sacrifice privacy if it will help the government investigate terrorism.
The order of the FISC court, published last week by the Guardian newspaper in the U.K., authorized the U.S. National Security Agency to collect so-called telephony metadata from customers of Verizon in the U.S. The order was later confirmed by the Director of National Intelligence, James R. Clapper.
The metadata includes communications routing information such as session-identifying information, trunk identifier, telephone calling card numbers, and time and duration of call, according to the document. It does not, however, contain the content of a communication, or the name, address, and financial information of the customer. The requirement to turn in metadata applies to calls within the U.S., and calls between the U.S. and abroad.
The FISC was set up in 1978 by the U.S. Congress as a special court to review applications for warrants related to national security investigations.(
Separate reports have also alleged that the NSA has real-time access to content on the servers of Google, Facebook, and other Internet companies as part of another surveillance program. The companies have denied their participation.
U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday called for a public debate on the tradeoff between privacy and security.
The American Civil Liberties Union and Yale Law School's Media Freedom and Information Clinic on Monday filed a motion before the FISC, requesting that it publish its opinions on the meaning, scope and constitutionality of Section 215 of the Patriot Act, which they say forms the basis of the order on Verizon.
The section allows the director of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation to obtain secret court orders from the FISC that compel third parties to produce "any tangible things" relevant to authorized foreign intelligence or terrorism investigations, according to the motion.
As the orders are accompanied by a "gag order" that prohibit recipients from revealing that they even received a demand for records, "Americans know very little about the authority the government has claimed under Section 215 and the extent of the records acquired by the government under these orders," Patrick C. Toomey, fellow of ACLU's national security project wrote in a blog post on Monday.
"The public is entitled to know the legal basis for such a program and the legal interpretation of Section 215 that supports the government's demand for a complete log of all our phone calls," Toomey wrote, describing the FISC opinions as a first step in a public discussion on the surveillance powers asserted by the government. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides for public access to judicial proceedings and records but for some exclusions.
The disclosure of the order authorizing the collection of Verizon call records has already lead to court actions, as it is being seen by rights groups as evidence that the U.S. government is using a secret and broad interpretation of surveillance laws.
Larry Klayman, the founder of watchdog websites Judicial Watch and Freedom Watch and a former Department of Justice prosecutor, filed a lawsuit Friday in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia over the Verizon order, alleging that the surveillance violates the First, Fourth and Fifth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder are among the defendants in the case.
Pew Research Center, however, reported Monday that 56 percent of a sample of 1,004 adults, 18 years of age or older, living in the continental U.S. said the NSA's tracking of telephone records of millions of Americans is "an acceptable way for the government to investigate terrorism." 41 percent said it was unacceptable.
The percentage of people who are willing to compromise personal privacy if it will help the federal government investigate terrorist threats is 62 percent, according to the survey by Pew Research and The Washington Post.
John Ribeiro covers outsourcing and general technology breaking news from India for The IDG News Service. Follow John on Twitter at @Johnribeiro. John's e-mail address is john_ribeiro@idg.com
****************************************************************************
Verizon Privacy Policy
Verizon is Committed to Protecting Your Privacy
Protecting our customers' privacy is an important priority at Verizon and we are committed to maintaining strong and meaningful privacy protections for customers. Our privacy policy is designed to inform you about the information we collect, how we use it, and your options with regard to that collection and use. Key elements of our full privacy policy are summarized below.
Verizon's privacy policy applies to customers of the Verizon family of companies in the United States and to visitors to Verizon websites. It does not apply to Verizon Business customers outside the United States.
Read more
Information We Collect and How We Use It
Verizon collects and uses information about our customers and website visitors for a variety of purposes. Information is obtained when you interact with us, when you use our products and services, and when you visit our websites.
This information is used to deliver, provide, and repair products or services; establish and maintain customer accounts and billing records; contact you about our products and services and better direct specific offers or promotions to you; monitor website statistics; manage and protect our networks; monitor our customer service employees; and establish your online account. Information may also be aggregated or anonymized for business and marketing uses by us or by third parties.
We may also obtain consumer information such as demographic and interest data from outside companies who provide such data. We use this data and combine it with other information we have to help us predict customer preferences and to direct marketing offers.
Read more
Information Provided to or Used by Third-Party Advertisers
You may see third-party advertisements on some Verizon websites, services, or devices. In some instances, third-party advertisers seek to provide advertising that they believe is more relevant to your interests. In these instances, cookies may be placed and used by advertising companies to collect information about your visit to our websites and may be combined with similar information obtained from other websites. We also may provide third-party advertisers with geographic or demographic information that allows them to tailor their ads. This information does not identify you individually. You have choices about how to limit the use of your information.
Read more
Information We Share
Within the Verizon Family of Companies:
Verizon shares customer information within our family of companies for operational purposes. We also share customer information within our family of companies for our own marketing purposes unless you advise us not to. Specific laws govern our sharing and use of certain customer information known as Customer Proprietary Network Information.
Read more
Outside the Verizon Family of Companies:
Except in certain circumstances explained in our Privacy Policy, in privacy policies for specific services, or in agreements with our customers, Verizon does not sell, license or share information that individually identifies our customers with others outside of Verizon for non-Verizon purposes without your consent. We may share information with our vendors and partners for business purposes and to the extent reasonably necessary for them to perform work on our behalf. Verizon may also share certain information with outside companies to assist with the delivery of advertising campaigns or preparing and sharing aggregate business and marketing reports.
Read more
How to Limit the Sharing and Use of Your Information
Your Choices
Customer Information:
You may choose to opt out of the sharing of specific customer information, within the Verizon family of companies for certain marketing purposes.
Read more
Telemarketing:
You may request to be removed from the Verizon telemarketing lists at any time.
Read more
Marketing Email, Postal Mail and Door-to-Door Calls:
You may opt out of receiving marketing-related emails, text messages, or postal mailings or prevent door-to-door marketing.
Read more
Information Used for Online Advertising:
You have choices about whether certain information collected on websites, including Verizon's, is used to customize advertising based on predictions generated from your visits over time and across different websites.
Read more
Wireless Location Services:
Verizon Wireless services that use mobile device location data provide you with notice about the collection and use of this data as well as choices about whether specific location-tracking features available on your phone are turned on.
Read more
FiOS TV Services:
Specific cable-related privacy protections apply to Verizon's FiOS TV subscribers.
Read more
Geographic and Relevant Mobile Advertising:
Verizon wireline Internet access customers may opt-out of participating in certain geographically-based advertising programs. Verizon Wireless Internet customers may opt-out of participating in relevant mobile advertising programs.
Read more
Business and Marketing Reports:
Verizon Wireless customers may opt-out of allowing Verizon Wireless to use their information to create aggregated business and marketing reports.
Read more
Parental Controls:
Age-based content controls are available for parents of Verizon's Internet, Wireless and TV services.
Read more
Information Security
Verizon has technical, administrative and physical safeguards in place to help protect against unauthorized access to, use or disclosure of customer information we maintain.
Read more
Contact Information
If you have questions, concerns or suggestions related to our Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, you may contact us at:
Verizon Privacy Office
1320 North Courthouse Road
9th Floor
Arlington, VA 22201
Fax: 703-351-3669
Email: privacyoffice@verizon.com
Accessing and Updating Your Information
You may correct inaccuracies in your information by calling a customer service representative or by accessing your online account and updating your information.
Read more
Changes to the Privacy Policy
If Verizon elects to use or disclose information that identifies you as an individual in a manner that is materially different from that stated in our policy at the time we collected that information from you, we will give you a choice regarding such use or disclosure by appropriate means, which may include use of an opt-out mechanism.
Read more
Verizon is a licensee of the TRUSTe Privacy Program.
Read more
Updated September 2011