Telco rivals cannot promise more privacy: analysts

TELCO RIVALS CANNOT PROMISE MORE PRIVACY: ANALYSTS
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Sinead Carew and Yinka Adegoke]
Consumers concerned that the largest U.S. telephone companies may have let the government track call records might find few options for more privacy. While cable, wireless and Internet companies were not named in the reports, they may not be able to promise more privacy for their customers, especially if the record database is ultimately endorsed by the U.S. government. "If the President wins on this, one would think that the NSA would require more providers to participate," Forrester Research analyst Lisa Pierce said. She noted that many calls that originate on cable or Internet services end up going through traditional phone networks if the recipient is a customer of AT&T, Verizon or BellSouth, which have up to 90 percent of U.S. customers. "You could walk across town to talk to somebody in person," said Surterre Research analyst Todd Rethemeier. "There is really no way to hide from something like this."
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