Verizon Wireless is only following FCC rules by using an opt-out ...

explaining it could share customer usage data with “affiliates, agents and parent companies (including Vodafone) and their subsidiaries,” unless customers opted out within 30 days (CD Oct 15 p8). FCC rules “prescribe specifically that opt-out is the way to share information with telecommunications affiliates [and] to market telecom services,” the spokesman said. Opt-in, preferred by privacy groups, is required only on sharing customer data for non-telecom services and with businesses outside Verizon, he said. “There’s no selling of consumer information to third party advertisers” at Verizon Wireless, he said. Verizon is working to ensure that all customers are notified and opt-out is “as easy as possible,” the spokesman said, alluding to other carriers’ trouble with CPNI notification. In early 2007, consumer groups attacked Sprint when the carrier forced customers to send opt-out requests by mail. In 2006, AT&T faced an FCC investigation after running out of bill inserts on privacy policy and then using the CPNI of nearly 11,000 customers who were not sent opt-out instructions. Verizon Wireless sent notices to customers in September and early October, the spokesman said. Verizon Wireless included an insert in the bills of account holders sent paper bills and separately mailed a first-class notice to those billed electronically, he said. An AT&T spokesman wouldn’t comment on Verizon’s program but concurred that the FCC, not individual carriers, decides how CPNI may be used. “FCC regulations are very explicit about how CPNI is to be handled,” he said. “AT&T is scrupulous in following those regulations.” Meanwhile, Alltel said Monday it doesn’t have a CPNI sharing program like Verizon’s. “We are not doing anything like this and have no plans to do so,” a spokesman said.