ContractReader
@ergotech-usa.com
|  New Privacy Statement
If you haven't read the new TOS and it's associated privacy statement, you should, and then you should cancel service with Speakeasy.
It give Speakeasy the right to share information with "affiliates" (including, obviously Best Buy, but without restriction) for basically any reason (they say "is used to help complete a transaction" which is broad enough for anything) and these affiliates are then bound by this pathetic privacy agreement which actually seems to provide them more right, such as to allow them to pass the information to THEIR affiliates.
Information includes ALL personal information, including credit card information.
The agreement talks of responsible handling by Speakeasy, but specifically removes and warranties and does pass the obligation for safe handling to its affiliates.
Be assured that credit card information is used for "Payment Processing only". There's no restriction of this Payment Processing, as in, who can process and what you are paying for. It's good to know that Speakeasy won't be using your credit card for scraping icy windshields and opening locked doors - only to charge money to it.
I think that the policy is the worst that I've read in that that it provides no privacy and you are agreeing that Speakeasy can share information with anyone they feel like, so long as they declare that entity and "affiliate". |
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CylonRed
Premium,MVM
join:2000-07-06
Bloom County | That is how 99% of my privacy statements read for all insurance policies and many, many more. Nothing real different here. |
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ReadTheDocument
@qwest.net
| It's not like 99% of other privacy statements. Most privacy statements restrict what information can be passed and to whom - a "need-to-know" type of clause.
I'm not a lawyer, but my reading of the new Speakeasy privacy policy says that there is basically no restriction on who they can share information with. The document is here:
»www.speakeasy.net/tos/msa.php
It basically says that Speakeasy can share any and all information with "affiliates". Affiliate is not defined. The information can be transfered as long as it's used to "complete a transaction" (undefined). Remember there's a lot of information ("Data collected online") associated with you account, your browsing history for example. Browse to CompUSA and look for a new computer, under my reading of the privacy statement, Best Buy can now call you and tell you what they have on offer.
Who are the affiliates? Can the RIAA/MPAA sign up as affiliates (it's not restricted by the agreement as far as I can tell). Now your personal information, buying habits and any of your P2P history are now available for them as long as they use it to "complete a transaction". I'm told that's not the intent, but do you trust all the affiliates not to do that if there's enough money there?
I've always found Speakeasy to be a quality ISP, but unless this document defines an "affilate" and what "complete a transaction" really means, this document is does not provide privacy, in fact if provides the reverse.
This is just my reading and my opinions, but you really should read it for yourself. |
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CylonRed
Premium,MVM
join:2000-07-06
Bloom County | Again - no different than any of my other polices... I can guarantee that they can't share CC info and they don't have my social... |
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ContractReader
@ergotech-usa.com
| "The types of personal information collected at these pages are name, username, contact and billing information, transaction, and credit card information"
[...]
"Speakeasy will only share the personal data provided by its Customer with [...] or with its affiliates."
What's your guarantee? Do you have some other agreement with Speakeasy? If not, they CAN share you CC information.
As ever, this is all my opinion, and I'm not a lawyer. You really should read the document. |
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ContractReader
@speakeasy.net | Since today's my last day with Speakeasy - and so probably this forum - I hope that none come to harm because of the new privacy statement. |
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jaykaykay
4 Ever Young
Premium,MVM
join:2000-04-13
Scottsdale, AZ
 ·Speakeasy
2 edits | reply to ContractReader
I find it a hard pill to swallow. I would think that one could opt out of such things just as I can my bank.
Effective immediately, Speakeasy is changing the Privacy and Security section of your Service Addendum and the Privacy Policy of the Master Service Agreement. These changes will allow Speakeasy to share your customer data with affiliated companies, including our parent company Best Buy and its subsidiaries. We are committed to protecting your personal information and will only share it for the purpose of providing products and/or services to you.
Sounds to me that in allowing Best Buy and its subsideries to have all my info for 'providing products' to me is basically saying that they can Spam me to death with offers unless I opt out of getting announcements from SE. 
Also, who are these subsideries? Why do they need my information in that no service or goods are needed by me from them. All I found in a quick Google were these:
BEST BUY CO., INC.
SUBSIDIARIES OF THE REGISTRANT AS OF 02/28/2004*
State or
Province of Formation
BBC Insurance Agency, Inc. Minnesota
BBC Investment Co. Nevada
BBY Networks, Inc. Minnesota
Best Buy Stores, L.P. Delaware
Best Buy Marketing Concepts, LLC Minnesota
Nichols Distribution, LLC Minnesota
BestBuy.com, LLC Delaware
Geek Squad, Inc. Minnesota
BBC Property Co. Minnesota
Best Buy Stores, L.P. Delaware
Best Buy Marketing Concepts, LLC Minnesota
Nichols Distribution, LLC Minnesota
BestBuy.com, LLC Delaware
Geek Squad, Inc. Minnesota
Best Buy Enterprise Services, Inc. Minnesota
BBCAN Finance Company One, ULC Nova Scotia
BBCAN Financial Services, L.P. Alberta
BBCAN Finance Company Two, ULC Nova Scotia
BBCAN Financial Services, L.P. Alberta
Best Buy Canada Ltd. Canadian Federal Corporation
656956 British Columbia Ltd. British Columbia
661899 British Columbia Ltd. British Columbia
6154158 Canada Ltd. British Columbia
BBCAN Intangibles, Limited Partnership British Columbia
FutureGard Reinsurance Ltd. Turks & Caicos Islands
Futureshop.com Ltd. British Columbia
BBCAN Intangibles, Limited Partnership British Columbia
Vycom Partners LLP Washington
Future Shop (U.S.) L.P. Washington
FutureShop, Inc. Washington
Vycom Partners LLP Washington
Future Shop (U.S.) L.P. Washington
Future Shop (U.S.) L.P. Washington
Best Buy Holdings BV Netherlands
Best Buy (Bermuda) Ltd. Bermuda
Best Buy China China
BBY (Mauritius III) Ltd. Republic of Mauritius
Best Buy (Asia Pacific) Ltd. China
Best Buy Purchasing, LLC Minnesota
Magnolia Hi-Fi, Inc. Washington
Why do I need all of these companies knowing my information for crying out loud!!!
--
JKK
Age is a very high price to pay for my maturity. If I can't stay young, I can at least stay immature!
»www.pbase.com/jaykaykay
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Carsen21
join:2008-08-12 | reply to ContractReader
You guys know that you can opt out of them sharing your information. I just called in and had them do that for me. |
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Pissed Off
@rr.com
| I'm a Speakeasy "Partner" albeit a very small one. I just sent the following to my contact at Speakeasy:
"I just received the notice about the TOS changes. If I cannot opt out of having my information shared with "affiliated companies, including our parent company Best Buy and its subsidiaries" I will need to close all my accounts and move to another ISP. This is OUTRAGEOUS and one of the issues I was afraid of with the Best Buy purchase. I cannot believe the management of Speakeasy would allow such a change in such a casual manner. It is an absolute violation of our trust in you to do this without warning and without an opt-in or at minimum an easily available opt-out."
He responded with:
"I as advised that you can opt out:
- Go to www.speakeasy.net
- Log in with your user name and password
- You are now in "MySpeakeasy"
- Select "Manage Account/Account Permissions"
- There will be a Yes/No radio button under the Customer Privacy section on that page
- Chose Yes or No, then click Update Security Settings"
As of this evening (Tues.) I didn't find the opt-out radio button.
Although this is at least a way to stop the leaching of my clients information to Best-Buy and their affiliates, I am really disappointed in Speakeasy for not being more upfront with this, and for not making this an "opt-in" rather than a hidden "opt-out".
As I have almost all my clients on Speakeasy lines, I now have to crawl through each account and opt them out, hoping, of course, they haven't already shared the info.
Unless I see a change in this policy I will most likely migrate my clients to an ISP that truly respects their customer's privacy.
This is ironic in the face of this article I found:
'»blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/0···esn.html' |
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Bondman
join:2001-08-24
Livonia, MI
| reply to jaykaykay
Thanks for providing the extremely broad list of parties Speakeasy wants to give my private info to. I just got off the phone to Speakeasy and have requested the opt out. The option still is not listed under My Speak. I have way too much spam as it is. Speakeasy's spam filter is having trouble keeping up as things stand now |
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jaykaykay
4 Ever Young
Premium,MVM
join:2000-04-13
Scottsdale, AZ
·Speakeasy
| It's too bad that one has to opt out of all announcements from SE to be safe from all their subsiderie's Spamming, particularly the company that bought them out, Best Buy, which I would rather not have to black list for my filtering. Unless there is an option to opt out of their giving all my info to everyone, (and if there is, I didn't see it) SE is really pushing the limit, IMHO. |
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Carsen21
join:2008-08-12
| reply to ContractReader
From how it was explained to me, your either on their share list or you opt out of it. From when they notify you that your about to be on the list (currently a test group of 1000 of us) there is a 30 day period for you to either opt in or out. If you dont respond to them within that 30 days, your by default set to the list. Remember, they dont have a application server on their network logging web directs, so they cannot log what or where your going, the only information they store is what services you have with them, and how much you dish out monthly.
Personally, how much I pay and what services I have is something that only myself and SE should know.. which is why I opted out.
- not sure about the website opt-out, I called them about it and they said that they were aware of it not working and should have it fixed shortly. |
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Bondman
join:2001-08-24
Livonia, MI
1 edit |  reply to Pissed Off
Have you heard anything on this privacy opt out issue? Speakeasy had the gall to close out the ticket marketing it as resolved  without having the opt out in place. Right now things are wide open. I have no way to when they are going to turn on the switch without notifying me first. The last item in my ticket is:
2008-08-15 15:46:44 XXXX called to follow up on the Opt out issue we are having.
We do not have an ETA for a resolution at this time, and per HD, we are not sharing any information until the issue is resolved.
Don Jackson
Speakeasy Business Support
Thank you for choosing Speakeasy
In fairness the privacy statement does read differently but there is no date listed on its website as to the effective date of this revision. |
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