Uh? Verizon Issues Statement on NSA and Privacy Protection

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Alice Kehoe <akehoe () zen org>
Date: May 13, 2006 8:10:48 PM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Cc: brendan () zen org, derry <derry () zen org>
Subject: Verizon Issues Statement on NSA and Privacy Protection

Dave - For IP, if you wish. As a Verizon customer, for the moment, I  
find rather small comfort in this statement; to me, it smacks of  
Dubya's "trust me" attitude. Simply not good enough, by several  
miles. --A :(

Verizon Issues Statement on NSA and Privacy Protection

May 12, 2006

Media contact:
Peter Thonis, 212-395-2355


NEW YORK -- Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) today issued the  
following statement:

The President has referred to an NSA program, which he authorized,  
directed against al-Qaeda. Because that program is highly classified,  
Verizon cannot comment on that program, nor can we confirm or deny  
whether we have had any relationship to it.

Having said that, there have been factual errors in press coverage  
about the way Verizon handles customer information in general.  
Verizon puts the interests of our customers first and has a  
longstanding commitment to vigorously safeguard our customers’  
privacy -- a commitment we’ve highlighted in our privacy principles,  
which are available at www.verizon.com/privacy.

Verizon will provide customer information to a government agency only  
where authorized by law for appropriately-defined and focused  
purposes. When information is provided, Verizon seeks to ensure it is  
properly used for that purpose and is subject to appropriate  
safeguards against improper use. Verizon does not, and will not,  
provide any government agency unfettered access to our customer  
records or provide information to the government under circumstances  
that would allow a fishing expedition.

In January 2006, Verizon acquired MCI, and we are ensuring that  
Verizon’s policies are implemented at that entity and that all its  
activities fully comply with law.

Verizon hopes that the Administration and the Congress can come  
together and agree on a process in an appropriate setting, and with  
safeguards for protecting classified information, to examine any  
issues that have been raised about the program. Verizon is fully  
prepared to participate in such a process.


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