Michigan’s attorney general has asked Ameritech to explain its data-sharing program and to detail how consumers can limit the release of their personal information.
Attorney General Jennifer M. Granholm sent the letter to the SBC/Ameritech today, after putting out a warning to Michigan’s consumers that the communication company’s privacy notices may not be adequate.
Granholm asked Ameritech to extend its opt-out deadline and prepare clearer materials for consumers explaining its data-collection program.
Ameritech’s privacy notices were enclosed on a slip of paper accompanying Ameritech’s telephone bills. The notice says consumers should call the company within 30 days if they do not wish to have their personal information shared with third parties.
According to the notice, information Ameritech might share includes what services a consumer ordered, billing information and telecommunications usage history. The insert says the information collected by Ameritech may be shared with the SBC family of companies, with affiliated companies and "authorized agents," according to a statement put out by the attorney general’s office.
"At best, the notice is unclear and raises troubling questions for consumers," Granholm said in the statement. "What if you don't call? What personal information is the company planning to share?" She also said the notice was "so nondescript" that customers might throw it away before they know what it is.
The attorney general urged consumers to call the toll-free number found on the reverse side of the notice.
Federal law does not allow the use of certain customer information collected by telecommunication carriers, including information about calls made, without the consumer’s approval.
In December, Granholm was one of 39 attorneys general from across the country who urged the Federal Communications Commission to adopt a rule requiring telephone providers to obtain a customer's affirmative consent before data is sold or shared with unrelated marketers.
