Skydeck Blog - Latest Comments in Get Ready For More Advertising On Your Cell Phone

Re: Get Ready For More Advertising On Your Cell Phone

StoneyBones — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 11:30:42 -0000

Verizon clearly cannot be trusted with any data as they have continually been shown incapable of securing that data, even giving it without consent to the federal government in the past and currently gives the FBI unfettered access to its network as can be read from WIRED:

http://blog.wired.com/27bst...

Re: Get Ready For More Advertising On Your Cell Phone

Brittany — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 12:03:15 -0000

I just found out about this this morning...I received 3 text messages starting at 4:30 AM from a porn site! Unbelievable...I would like to see a boycott instituted on Verizon and have someone take this up with the FCC.

PS: the porn site texts that i received...i called Verizon back and found out that I was CHARGED FOR THEM.

Re: Get Ready For More Advertising On Your Cell Phone

Paul — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 12:42:20 -0000

I think people are misunderstanding this whole thing. Verizon is NOT selling your phone number to telemarketers and that is not what you are opting out of. I think most people here get that but there are a lot of people online who are saying things like, "phew, now that I have opted-out they can't sell my number to telemarketers."

They are looking to share CPNI which excludes your phone number, name and address. We can debate whether or not we want them to do that but sharing CPNI is FAR FAR different than selling your phone number to telemarketers.

--Paul

Re: Get Ready For More Advertising On Your Cell Phone

Stephen Brown — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 15:06:30 -0000

Just wanted to let you know that we have drafted a sample e-mail text that people can copy and send to FCC Commissioners. You can see the text as well as e-mail addresses of the commissioners at:

Outrage: An Open Letter to the FCC
http://networkinstruments.w...

Re: Get Ready For More Advertising On Your Cell Phone

Jim — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 11:30:57 -0000

I will allow the advertisments if you are willing to pay me to receive them. If the advertisers are not willing to pay, I am not willing to receive.

Re: Get Ready For More Advertising On Your Cell Phone

R. chadha — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 09:03:03 -0000

I am very disturbed even at the thought of it.

Re: Get Ready For More Advertising On Your Cell Phone

Guest — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 00:12:58 -0000

"we’re playing by the rules. No shame in that."

Nya nya nya! F--- you, you whiny customers!

Re: Get Ready For More Advertising On Your Cell Phone

Robb — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 16:59:28 -0000

I don't have Verizon, but all my friends do. So where can I go to opt out... If they release my friends records it includes my number and information, right? So shouldn't I have some kind of right to privacy.

How long before I get adds from for verizon with every text message I receive from a friend... or directly from verizon.

Hmmm... how long till companies start claiming advertising rights on their own numbers and such.

Re: Get Ready For More Advertising On Your Cell Phone

Kahuna — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 09:46:15 -0000

This box asked me to speak my mind... Here goes! How can a consumer society as a whole exist without Advertising? IT CANT! Europe, almost all carriers provide binary content (Video) to cell phones, Pacific Rim (China, Japan, Korea) it's an afterthought. Our US cellular carriers are dragging their feet in the sand like a 5 year old who does not want to leave the beach. Kicking & screaming because 75% + of the market is owned by the big three.

This “mobile devise” as it's now referenced is a far cry from a cell phone of ago.. Think about it, we started with color screens, then cameras, now recorders, constant connectivity to the backbone of the net, domains with .mobi..Aggghh.... Do you really think it's going to stop a progression path forward so in 18 months of today, I can run, control, switch, research, download, play, type, laugh my ass off, or simply talk…..?

Advertising to your mobile devise is going to happen no matter what, it's as basic as gravity. The consumer culture needs fuel, that fuel is eyeball to impulse or calculated action. You achieve it in your brain by advertising.... Sucks doesn’t it.

Knowing that ads will be delivered to my cell phone, I am not going to put my efforts in stopping the battle; but gathering expediential support, to limit the level of intrusive spawned behavior like “pops” to your cell phone!!!!

The mobile revolution has finally hit the US..

Re: Get Ready For More Advertising On Your Cell Phone

suman s Joshi — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 14:40:21 -0000

I want to opt out. I do not want my cell phone numbers released for any acommercial purposes, marketing or advertising.I consider this as my invasion of privacy.

Re: Get Ready For More Advertising On Your Cell Phone

Patrice Woodson — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 11:42:18 -0000

I certainly want to opt out. I do not want my cell phone number released for advertising purposes. This is definitely an invasion of my privacy.

Re: Get Ready For More Advertising On Your Cell Phone

Jamie — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 11:21:19 -0000

While reading this I got a call from an advertiser offering me a trip to las vegas... great!

Re: Get Ready For More Advertising On Your Cell Phone

norm ewald — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 10:13:18 -0000

Can anyone suggest an working, non-automated Verizon phone number where I can voice my objections to a real human being?

(I have already opted-out mechanically on my 4 existing phone lines.)

I intend to vote with my wallet and take my dollars elsewhere when our contract expires if Verizon continues on this path.

Are there any lawyers out there who can, in layman's terms, explain how Verizon can change the terms of a signed contract and then hold the customer to it with coersive penalties if one terminates the service?

I'm about ready to bolt.

-Fed Up

Re: Get Ready For More Advertising On Your Cell Phone

Ardath Dunlap — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 07:51:44 -0000

I certainly want to opt out. I do not want my cell phone number released for advertising purposes. This is definitely an invasion of my privacy. We get bombarded from all sides now with advertising that we sure don't need.

Re: Get Ready For More Advertising On Your Cell Phone

Jeffrey Nelson — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 07:37:19 -0000

Today's NYTimes has story that seems mostly right to me - but doesn't note that Verizon Wireless is the last of the major wireless companies to go to customers with opt-out on CPNI to be shared across its family of companies. Sprint had done so but stopped once they spun off their landline operations - since there was no longer a "family of companies" to share information with. AT&T has been doing so for months - and an AP story noted they got smacked down for NOT informing a few thousand customers of their opt-out abilities.

I'm not defending opt-out vs. opt-in; but the FCC rules were and are the rules - and we're playing by the rules. No shame in that.

Re: Get Ready For More Advertising On Your Cell Phone

Nick — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 00:24:12 -0000

To Mr. DeQuardo,
I'm not going to be a Verizon apologist, but "all this fine print" unfortunately is necessary in the legal world. I agree that contract law is becoming (or some would argue, has become) the joke that patent law now is. But, until proper tort reform has taken place and we can rely upon the simple meaning of things, we will be stuck with this legalese. The reason the company chose the Opt-Out process is because they have probably added all of this garbage to indemnify themselves, but they believe that their current contract appropriately described this "information sharing" process to the customer. Opt-Out is obviously, less expensive and provides significantly higher "buy-in" than does an Opt-In system.

This is probably a law department that had way too much time and money and is trying to be proactive. That said, if Verizon DOES begin to use this "information sharing" clause to spam my cell phone, I will be one of the first to cancel all my dealings with them. That means my home fios service (Comcast left the cable from the pole to my house, so it shouldn't take long to reconnect), my wireless and my office T1.

Re: Get Ready For More Advertising On Your Cell Phone

Mike DeQuardo — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 21:45:49 -0000

Jeffery Nelson,
I find your response incredible. You needed all this fine print to 'only share data among VZW companies'? THEN make it an opt-out model. I've been a customer (multi-lines) for over 10 years. I'm so angry about this I'd switch in a heartbeat if not for incurring the $350 in ETF.

Verizon has really screwed the pooch on this one. You and your company should be ashamed.

Re: Get Ready For More Advertising On Your Cell Phone

dickie — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 19:44:08 -0000

"Hank Becker on October 15th, 2007 8:27 am:
If your account has a password associated with it (mine does) the IVR asks you to enter your password. Of course if you have an account password that is non numeric (such as a name) there is no way to enter the password - and you can not opt out."

Actually, you just enter the letters as if you were texting. My password is alpha numeric and worked just fine during the call process. I do wonder if this is enough of a change to warrant cancellation without an ETF charge...

Re: Get Ready For More Advertising On Your Cell Phone

Nick — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 18:16:55 -0000

For Mr. Berry,
PATROIT Act Title II does not require this type of indemnification for the carriers. All PATROIT Act Title II requests are required to be followed up with the proper warrant/subpoena process. Yes, I agree there are avenues to exploit this system, but hopefully, future changes to PATROIT Act will strengthen the requirement for due process. That said, due process is being served, just not in a timely fashion.

Additionally, the language for information sharing has been in these contracts for decades and is usually worded as "as required by law". This language is not worded that way, but is worded as "third parties" or as "Verizon companies". This looks like a standard boilerplate to allow a Corporation's divisions and operating companies to share customer information between themselves. Something they DO have to indemnify themselves from, lest they become prey to a frivolous lawsuit. Let's consider the the contract between you and your credit card company. This type of information sharing language exists in these types of contracts as these companies must break themselves into compartments for regulatory and tax purposes. An example would be when you call the credit company's call center. The call center is probably a different division or even a different company, but they still have access to your records in order to provide the service. Since Verizon is a utility, they are governed by the BPU's in each state they operate, as well as federal regulatory bodies. I'm sure there is not one monolithic corporation, but many different legal entities to protect the interests of the umbrella corporation.

For Mr. Stoecklein, I too am recalling my Business Law classes and I may be a bit fuzzy, but with the exception of the "third party" clause, I'm sure that the Opt-Out provision is legal. When the contract was entered into with the carrier, there was almost certainly language that defined the carrier as the named entity and all entities (divisions, subsidiaries, etc..) wholly owned, partially owned or joined through working agreements with the corporation. Depending on how that language was crafted, third party companies could fit under the Opt-Out umbrella.

What Mr. Nelson is referring to can be read here...

http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/cons...

I agree that the "Third Parties" clause is a little discomforting, but I do not see the language change out of the ordinary to allow the corporation to protect itself. That said, I find out that Verizon is spamming my phone, I'm switching!

Re: Get Ready For More Advertising On Your Cell Phone

penn — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 17:23:27 -0000

kristen, old billing zip?
that was my problem; i used my old one (wtf?) and it worked. at least the records they are selling are stale :)

Re: Get Ready For More Advertising On Your Cell Phone

Preston — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 17:18:58 -0000

For internal divisions of verizon wireless to use your calling patterns and history to contact you about additional products, I do believe they have to have your permission, usually part of your agreement or terms and conditions, but to include the advertising... I'm not a fan off. I tried to opt out, and i have to take additional steps because I'm a business... That's fine, I'll be opting out of them completely to Alltel anyway.

Re: Get Ready For More Advertising On Your Cell Phone

Shell — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 16:43:37 -0000

Hmmm.... Companies should never be authorized to share any of your personal information with anyone because you "do not" respond to a notice to that effect. They should only be authorized to do so if you specifically "give" them permission to do so. Failing to respond should not equal "permission given." Very sneaky method and should be illegal.

Re: Get Ready For More Advertising On Your Cell Phone

Kristen — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 15:43:12 -0000

My information is invalid? My husband and I just called separately and got the same message. We gave them our number, our zip, and the last 4 of our SSN. very unhappy.

Re: Get Ready For More Advertising On Your Cell Phone

Jason Devitt — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 14:32:05 -0000

Jeffrey,

I am delighted to hear that. Nevertheless, the agreement gives you the right to share CPNI with 'affiliates, vendors and third parties ... to deliver relevant advertising', so you can change your mind at any time.

As I said in the post, we don't have a problem with the change in principle. But it's a big change to make via opt-out. The document is ambiguous. (What does it mean to say that 'if you do not want us to collect, transmit, or use such information, you should not use the services'? Isn't it enough to opt out?) And the part about advertising is buried on page 8.

Best wishes,
Jason

Re: Get Ready For More Advertising On Your Cell Phone

David Berry — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 13:56:09 -0000

What you all think is about advertising and marketing couldn't be further from the truth. This program, and others like it, are stop-loss mechanisms to prevent legal liability by Verizon for handing this information over to the FBI, NSA, etc. *without* a warrant. Believe me, if you were a business looking at possible class-action damages on a scale that most of these Ma-Bell types are looking at--especially when courts are finding their information disclosures as unconstitutional--you'd find a way to trick people into implicit permission.