My mom emailed this info to me this morning and of course I immediately smelled internet legend or some kind of spam scam to harvest personal information. But, apparently it is true as I found the information on the Verizon website myself. I realize that this info is not exactly current as it was on digg 38 days ago, so before the STFF crowed bashes me I did search here for "800-333-9956" and "verizon information" and got no hits in the last 90 days.

Apparently to be removed you must opt-out by calling 800-333-9956. The full text follows:


Legal Notices
Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI) for Consumers

Your privacy is important to us

Verizon Wireless and its affiliates (the "Verizon Companies") provide services to you. In doing so, we may each collect certain information that is made available to us solely by virtue of our relationship with you, such as quantity, technical configuration, type, destination, location and amount of use of the telecommunications services you purchase. This information and related billing information is known as Customer Proprietary Network Information ("CPNI"). The Federal Communications Commission and other regulators require the Verizon Companies to protect your CPNI.

In order to better serve your communications needs and to provide products and services to meet your requirements, we need your permission to share this information among our affiliates, agents and parent companies (including Vodafone) and their subsidiaries. The protection of your information is important to us, and the Verizon Companies acknowledge that you have a right, and we have a duty, under federal and state law, to protect the confidentiality of your CPNI.

You have a right to keep your CPNI private by "opting out." Unless you provide us with notice that you wish to opt out within 30 days of us providing notice to you in your bill or through the mail, we will assume that you give the Verizon Companies the right to share your CPNI with the authorized companies as described above. You may opt out by calling us at 1-800-333-9956 and following the recorded directions.

TTY users can opt out by first dialing a telecommunications relay service (TRS) center via 711 in order to contact a TRS Communications Assistant (CA). Then, simply ask the CA to dial 1-800-333-9956 and notify us that you wish to opt out.

Please be advised that if you do not opt out, your consent will remain valid until we receive your notice withdrawing it. If you wish to withdraw your consent at any time, you may do so by calling us at 1-800-333-9956.

Furthermore, note that opting out will not affect the status of the services you currently have with the Verizon Companies. In addition, we can disclose your CPNI to comply with any laws, court order or subpoena, or to provide services to you pursuant to your Customer Agreement.



Customer Proprietary Network Information Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is CPNI?
A. Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI) is information created by virtue of the relationship between a carrier and a customer, including the quantity, technical configuration, type, destination, location, and amount of use of a customer's telecommunications services purchased (including specific calls a customer makes and receives) and related local and toll billing information. It does not include information such as one's name, address or telephone number.

Q2. Why does Verizon Wireless need my consent?
A. Verizon Wireless needs to share your CPNI with our affiliates, agents and parent companies in order to better offer and provide to you the full range of the Verizon Companies' communications - related products and services. The Federal Communications Commission requires that we obtain your consent to do so.

Q3. If I give my consent, what can Verizon Wireless do with my information?
A. With your consent, Verizon Wireless will be able to share your CPNI with our affiliates, agents and parent companies. Sharing such information will enable us to collaborate on how to better serve your telecommunications needs.

Q4. Can I change my mind about giving consent?
A. A customer has the right at any time to withdraw its previously-given permission to share CPNI by notifying Verizon Wireless at 1-800-333-9956.

Q5. How am I affected if I decide not to provide my consent?
A. The inability to share your CPNI may make it more difficult for Verizon Wireless to work with our affiliates to offer you new communications-related products and services in the future. However, your decision to disallow the sharing of CPNI will not affect the services that you currently obtain from the Verizon companies. [www.verizonwireless.com]


Craig

I called just yesterday and opt-ed out all the numbers on my family share plan, super easy to do.

Yea..pretty easy to do. I did this a couple weeks ago. Takes less than 30 seconds.

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FYI: this is for Verizon wireless, not FIOS, DSL, or landline.

Geez, this was one of the reasons I switched to Verizon a year and a half ago anyway.

I guess when money is involved nothing's sacred.

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MacBook Pro 2.0GHz quad-core Intel i7
IMac 27" 3.4GHz quad-core Intel i7

There should be nothing assumed. Opt-Out should be default.