Yahoo, Verizon: Our Spy Capabilities Would ‘Shock’, ‘Confuse’ Consumers

[deminks]

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/12/wiretap-prices

Want to know how much phone companies and internet service providers charge to funnel your private communications or records to U.S. law enforcement and spy agencies?

That’s the question muckraker and Indiana University graduate student Christopher Soghoian asked all agencies within the Department of Justice, under a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed a few months ago. But before the agencies could provide the data, Verizon and Yahoo intervened and filed an objection on grounds that, among other things, they would be ridiculed and publicly shamed were their surveillance price sheets made public.

Yahoo writes in its 12-page objection letter (.pdf), that if its pricing information were disclosed to Soghoian, he would use it “to ’shame’ Yahoo! and other companies — and to ’shock’ their customers.”

“Therefore, release of Yahoo!’s information is reasonably likely to lead to impairment of its reputation for protection of user privacy and security, which is a competitive disadvantage for technology companies,” the company writes.

(end snip)

via RawStory here:

http://rawstory.com/2009/12/yahoo-spying-policy-shock-customers/

[msongs]

1. google is not your friend, it is strip mining your data and selling to the highest bidders nt

[HopeHoops]

2. That is the ENTIRE PURPOSE of the Chrome browser.

They don't even try to hide it. It is spelled out clearly in the license agreement. The browser is nothing more than a tool to harvest data that they can sell to advertisers. They didn't write it to be nice.

[LoZoccolo]

3. I try and use Yauba when I remember to.

The Google reflex is so ingrained that I forget though.

[nykym]

4. "Yahoo writes in its 12-page objection letter (.pdf),

that if its pricing information were disclosed to Soghoian, he would use it “to ’shame’ Yahoo! and other companies — and to ’shock’ their customers.”

“Therefore, release of Yahoo!’s information is reasonably likely to lead to impairment of its reputation for protection of user privacy and security, which is a competitive disadvantage for technology companies,” the company writes."

So lets see that would amount to saying if you tell what we charge for selling your private information people won't trust us. DUH!

[truedelphi]

5. Inane reply so that I will see this and consider tomorrow

When less tired.

Thank U for posting.

[justabob]

6. they would be ridiculed and publicly shamed

If They are worried about being publicly shamed, perhaps They shouldn't do ridiculous and shameful things. I mean really.... This shit makes me absolutely crazy.

[annabanana]

7. Embarrassment is NEVER an excuse to block information when

harm is being done to the body politic.

[SpiralHawk]

8. "All your privacy are belong to us." - Big YahooVerizonGoogleETC (R)

"Smirk." - Them (R)