Look at your phone bills – read the notices – your lack of action may be “OPTING YOU IN”

Wow imagine if a different business tried this – say a bank. What if a bank put a notice on your monthly statement that said “Oh by the way if you do not call us we are going to assume it is ok to take 10% of your deposits until you tell us not to.”

Information that Your Telephone Company Collects

Your local, long distance and wireless telephone companies, as well as your Voice over Internet Provider (VoIP), collect information such as the numbers you call and when you call them, as well as the particular services you use, such as call forwarding or voice mail. These companies collect this customer information, also called Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI) so they can provide the services you have requested and send you bills for them.

https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/protecting-your-telephone-calling-records

Your choices related to CPNI sharing???

VERIZON SAYS:
Wireless customers
You may choose not to have your CPNI shared for the marketing purposes described above by notifying us by phone any time at 1-800-333-9956, online or through Customer Service at 1-800-922-0204 from Monday – Friday 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Unless you notify us in one of these ways, we may share your CPNI with authorized companies as described above beginning 30 days after the first time we notify you of this CPNI policy. Your choice will remain valid until you notify use that you wish to change your selection. Your decision about sharing your CPNI will not affect the provision of any services you currently have with us.

Residential, small and medium business customers
We may use and share your CPNI among our affiliates and agents to offer you services that are different from the services you currently purchase from us. Verizon offers a full range of services such as video, wireless, Internet, and long distance. Visit Verizon.com for a complete listing of our services and companies.

You may choose not to have your CPNI used for the marketing purposes described above by calling us anytime at 1-866-483-9700. When you call, please have your bill and account number available. Your decision about use of your CPNI doesn’t affect our provision of services to you nor eliminate all Verizon marketing contacts.

Unless you call us at the number above, Verizon may use your CPNI to market different types of services beginning 30 days after the first time we notify you of the CPNI policy described above. You may elect at any time to add or remove a restriction on the use of your CPNI. Your choice remains valid until you change your election by calling the number above.

Not Just Verizon – AT&T has the same thing – all phone companies… All they have to do is notify you – even if it is in a paragraph on the pack page of a bill.

AT&T Notices
https://www.att.com/ecpnioptout/InitiateCPNIForm.action

CPNI Restriction Request Form

Please complete and submit the form below to restrict AT&T’s use of your Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI) for the purposes of offering new types of products and services to you from the AT&T family of companies. † Restricting our use of your CPNI will not eliminate other types of marketing contacts from AT&T, nor will it eliminate our use of your CPNI to offer additional services of the type you already purchase from AT&T.

Remember: Customer information rules apply to all telephone companies: local, long distance, wireless and VoIP. Make your customer information choices known to each company.

WHO MAKES THESE RULES?

The FCC covers this – not the FTC – I think the FTC should crack down on the FCC!

And how much wasteful spending happens here – surely their lunches are paid for by lobbyists because that was not a rule designed to protect consumers.

Who are these yahoos at the FCC?
Oh great – they have bookkeeping issues…

page 51 FCC AGENCY FINANCIAL REPORT – FISCAL YEAR 2015
We are pleased that, for the tenth straight year, the independent auditor provided an unmodified opinion and found that the Commission’s consolidated financial statements for FY 2015 present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Commission as of September 30, 2015. Ten straight years of clean audit opinions is an unprecedented accomplishment for the Commission. Throughout this entire period of time, we have worked very hard to continue strengthening the Commission’s internal controls and improving its financial management.

Despite these successes, work remains here at the Commission. The FY 2015 audit report points out one material weakness, one significant deficiency, and one instance of non-compliance with laws and regulations. The auditor’s primary areas of concern relate to Universal Service Fund (USF) budgetary accounting, information technology controls, and non-compliance with the Debt Collection Improvement Act (DCIA). We concur with the recommendations made by the independent auditors in their reports

Hmmm – you can call or write them?

Filing a complaint
https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/protecting-your-telephone-calling-records

You have multiple options for filing a complaint with the FCC:

File a complaint online
By phone: 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322); TTY: 1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322); ASL: 1-844-432-2275
By mail (please include your name, address, contact information and as much detail about your complaint as possible):

Federal Communications Commission
Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau
Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Division
445 12th Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20554