Opt Out is the new Opt In
CPNI Notice sent by mail
Facebook is quickly becoming the defacto way to do business with your personal information. When Facebook rolled out places everyone was opted in automatically. You had to change your privacy settings to be opted out of the program. The was mass outrage over this. Every time Facebook makes any settings changes for privacy it is in opt out instead of opt in. So with places you would have to say “No Thanks” to places to not participate instead of saying “Sign me up.”
Using this model to deal with your customers privacy concerns is downright bad. I was shocked when Verizon sent me this packet about my privacy. After I read it I was even more shocked that I had to opt out of this information sharing between Verizon and third parties. Basically you have 45 days to tell Verizon you don’t want them to share your information otherwise you give them permission by doing nothing.
I think this is the wrong way to do business. Facebook’s tactics of having you to opt out of their added “features” should not be moving into other companies. Once down that path there is no turning back. If I decide that I want to share my information that is for me to decide and not some company to make that call.
Verizon wants you to share your information with their parent companies, affiliates, and agents. Now what kind of information are they looking to share you may ask. They want to share your Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI). CPNIS as quote from the mailing is:
Services purchased(including specific calls you make and receive), related local and toll billing information and the type, destination, technical configuration, location and amount of use of purchased services.
Verizon wants to share you you call and who calls you along with the 800 numbers you contact to third parties to “better serve our telecommunication needs.” TO that I said no way and took my self off this information sharing.
To opt out of CPNI sharing call Verizon at 1-800-333-9956 and follow the recorded prompts. All told it took less than 5 mins to Opt out of this sharing.
The Lines of Digital Communication
I am not an expert in communication or what is considered standard communication etiquette. What I do know is how I interpret the communications I get. Which in most cases I do it wrong. It’s a gut feeling based on the the information I have at hand.
In this modern digital age we have many forms of communications between texting, facebook, email, and ect. Yet in all these instances I feel they are impersonal. They take out a very important part of the process. That part is hearing and seeing an instant reaction or the infliction of voice. On the digital front no one sounds exactly as they seem. We are allowed to craft a response that is unnatural. There is only so much one can “write” before it becomes meaningless.
Yes I will admit I am guilty of this, but I also know when to call up a friend to talk to get them to come out for a bit. I prefer the phone call to a text message or of facebook message. When I see my friends are having a bad day through facebook or AIM messages I’ll cal them up. I feel that a familiar voice is worth more than a few bytes of a text or other electronic message. In this day and age it also sends a message that you think they are important to reach out to.
I think it more comes down to balance. We have to know when an electronic interaction is good and when to pick up the phone to call. In this digital age it will get more difficult to make that decision as new forms of communication comes out. The younger generation will be growing up with this new technology and this will be standard for them.
It’s weird that I am in the IT field and yet part of me fells like I miss the days when you had to call someone to get in contact with them. I guess I’m old school like that and will probably continue that trend. I’ll embrace new technology and communications, but I’ll always know the value of a phone call or a nice get together with friends. It’s something that I feel is priceless.
