Trust: A word that, although small, carries a large impact. We, as a society, collectively trust certain people or things. For instance, we trust that each day, the sun will rise. We trust that each year, Black Friday will dominate in overall sales. We trust the counselor will not divulge information of a personal nature. And, of all people or organizations, we trust that companies who have acquired identify driven information (addresses, social security number, credit card number, etc.) will keep it private. However, according to David Goldman, we may be placing our trust on them in vain. In an article released November 1, 2011, Goldman states:
“In mid-October, Verizon Wireless changed its privacy policy to allow the company to record customers’ location data and Web browsing history, combine it with other personal information like age and gender, aggregate it with millions of other customers’ data, and sell it on an anonymous basis.”
Verizon Wireless is using our information to pull a profit. After conducting some research, it would appear Verizon Wireless is in violation of its own Privacy Policy, which reads. “Specific laws govern our sharing and use of certain customer information known as Customer Proprietary Network Information.” Think about it: Verizon Wireless in violation of its privacy policy which in violation of this second law. Apparently that is acceptable in today’s society when selling private information comes as a type of sport. I mean, who doesn’t want their identity stolen, right?
A story of this magnitude blew up the newspapers, website, and televisions. We are supposed to be able to trust these companies. Especially today, when our lives are so heavily revolved around cell-phones and communication, we need to believe that companies aren’t going to betray our trust and sell what basically encompasses our personalities. I shouldn’t believe that my information is safe when suddenly, and without warning, these companies decide to make some extra money.
Don’t think Verizon Wireless is alone in this: At&T, Spring, and T-Mobile have jumped on this endeavor in attempts to make some “extra cash.” It is important to note that these companies do not hand the information over; rather, they provide opportunities for other corporations to target us with ads. (Because that’s what we all want with our days!) It’s still against all the policies that we have come to recognize. Apparently, we must come to terms with this. You know what they say, “An ad a day keeps the money at bay.”
