I received the following "Special Notice [change of privacy agreement]" insert in Hawaiian Telcom's February phone bill statement.
"Please note that Hawaiian Telcom keeps your information confidential and does not sell or disclose it to third parties." What follows that lie is,
... unless you take your valuable time to call us and ask us not to sell or disclose your information to others.
Probable conversations overheard in the Hawaiian Tel Com board room:
Board Member #1: "Why don't we do what banks do? After they have you as a customer (rather than ask you while you're signing up for an account) they later make you opt out knowing that most are too lazy to take the time. We're counting on 75% of our customers being too lazy to take the time to opt out—so it's an easy way of generating income.
Board Member #2: "But isn't that sneaky? Seems to me that a nice respectful way to serve our customers (rather than
force them take their valuable time to opt out) shouldn't the default be "opt out." We would then write and ask customers if we could share their data."
Board Member #1: "What's more important to our investors is that we survive. Come on, get with the program Board Member #2. Hell, the few who object to this "service" are too lazy to complain [which, as you've noticed with your objection here] wouldn't make a difference anyway). And, it's too inconvenient and too much work for them to switch banks."
Note: What's significant in the above imagined boardroom discussion conducted by all banks nationwide is that during each meeting there was a person such as "Member #2" who opted for integrity and service and was invalidated.
* What percent of bank or a telephone company subscribers would, as they were applying for an account, reply enthusiastically when asked, "Oh yes! Do give my name to others. I'm just not getting enough junk mail."
Last edited 10/29/20[/list]
