If you use Verizon Wireless, you recently received a letter printed on the outside with:
"Important Information Regarding Your Privacy"
DO NOT THROW THIS AWAY!- it is, indeed, very important.
The moniker is "CPNI"- Customer Proprietary Network Information"
Verizon wants to mine your cellular calling history, patterns and trends. They want to send you marketing and advertising based on this. They will sell this advertising service to other companies.
And, the PUC's being the lackeys they are, the program is "Opt Out" (at least in New Jersey). In other words, if you do not call and opt out, they will opt you into the program.
Verizon promises they will not share the data itself with outside entities, but the history of companies keeping such promises is very poor. The data are often spilled and a "rogue laptop" is typically blamed.
The number I had to call is 1-800-333-9956.
Fuck Verizon. I'm grateful to them for a reliable network. But they are such Republican bastards (Bob Barr landed there). You can't take your eyes off them for a second.