AT&T's Subscriber Agreement

[sethg at ropine.com (Seth Gordon)]

     AT&T_will_disclose_to_third_parties_personal_information_that_AT&T_
     maintains_related_to_customers_only_when_it_is_necessary_to_deliver_
     the_Service_to_customers_or_carry_out_related_business_activities,_in_
     the_ordinary_course_of_business,_for_ordinary_business_purposes,_and_
     at_a_frequency_dictated_by_AT&T's_particular_business_need.

   Note the underlined part.  It basically says "AT&T considers your
   information confidential, but we don't give a rat's ass.  We will
   disclose whatever we want to whomever we want whenever we want, in
   order to advance the interests of our business.  Just keep paying us."

My first reading of that clause is that it covers situations where,
for example, AT&T sends a contractor to install your equipment and the
contractor needs to know your address.  "Ordinary course of business"
is a little more restrictive than "whenever we feel like it".

And in a "contract of adhesion", where someone writes up a contract
and hands it to you without giving you a chance to negotiate, any
ambiguous terms are construed to the benefit of the party that
*didn't* write the contract.

Of course, if AT&T interprets the rule more broadly, how would you
ever find out?

-- 
"Rav would never cross a bridge when an idolator was on it; he said, 'Maybe he
will be judged and I will be taken with him.'  Shmuel would only cross a
bridge when an idolator was on it; he said, 'Satan cannot rule two nations [at
once].'  Rabbi Yannai would examine [the bridge] and cross."  --Shabbat 32a
== Seth Gordon == sethg at ropine.com == http://ropine.com/ == std. disclaimer ==
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