If you don't surrender your right to privacy, AT&T won't let you talk on your phone.

AT&T now says it owns your data. All your data. San Francisco Chronicle quotes AT&T's new "privacy" policy:

"While your account information may be personal to you, these records constitute business records that are owned by AT&T," the new policy declares. "As such, AT&T may disclose such records to protect its legitimate business interests, safeguard others, or respond to legal process."

It says the company "may disclose your information in response to subpoenas, court orders, or other legal process," omitting the earlier language about such processes being "required and/or permitted by law."

(Of course, that doesn't matter very much any more, because Bush doesn't obey the law.)

And the best part of all? You have to sign off on this corporatist crapola as a condition of service:

Moreover, AT&T is requiring customers to agree to its updated privacy policy as a condition for service -- a new move that legal experts say will reduce customers' recourse for any future data sharing [hmm....] with government authorities or others.

Oh, and while they're at it, they're also going to track your usage:

In a section on "usage information," the privacy policy says AT&T will collect "information about viewing, game, recording and other navigation choices [Daily Kos, Atrios, those peasants with pitchforks at Corrente...] that you and those in your household make when using Homezone or AT&T U-verse TV Services."

And these are they guys who want to control your Internet? Because this is what they mean by a "smart network"--A smart network is a network that controls your choices to their advantage.

Well, heck, I can just find another provider. I mean, it's not like AT&T is a giant, government regulated monopoly or anything. Oh, wait...

Anyone know anything about how to scramble/descramble voice?