• The New York Times, Tuesday, October 16, 2007 11:15 AM

A letter Verizon Wireless recently sent to customers informing them that it would begin sharing information from their calling records with its "affiliates, agents and parent companies" has stirred concern with consumer advocates. They suggest the company also wants to use the information to tailor the advertising it displays on cell phone screens based on individual customer habits and attributes.

Using phone records for ad delivery would be especially sensitive, according to Gene Kimmelman, vice president of federal and international affairs at the Consumers Union. "There is a cultural expectation of complete privacy with the telephone," he says. "Consumers are not thinking about it yet as a broad multimedia mechanism."

Brian Ashby, Verizon's associate general counsel, responds that the company is seeking to share information only among its divisions, so it can better sell new products to existing customers. In the mailing, Verizon gave customers 30 days to "opt out" by calling a toll-free number if they did not want their information shared.

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