Over the past few months, AT&T has received thousands of comments from concerned individuals like you about how the company is selling access to data about us to law enforcement through its Hemisphere program.
So far, AT&T has kept quiet, probably hoping we’ll just go away. But with your help, we’re doing just the opposite. One of AT&T’s most visible storefronts is in the heart of Washington, D.C.’s bustling Chinatown-Gallery Place neighborhood, which is also rich in available ad space for us to deliver our message straight to their door. Chip in now to help send an unmistakable message: don't sell out our privacy.
Under the Hemisphere program, AT&T is generating profits by selling analysis of private call records in its massive database — which scoops up data from around the world, even from those who don’t have an AT&T account. That means law enforcement agencies are able to gain access to this kind of data mining without any kind of warrant or court order.
This program is all-around bad news affecting millions of people around the world. The information sharing undermines privacy rights, which in turn threatens freedom of expression, and the data stockpiling puts our digital security at risk.
As a company that has made public commitments to defending its customers’ privacy, it’s no surprise AT&T has tried to keep Hemisphere a secret. But we think you’re willing to chip in to make sure they can’t hide Hemisphere any longer.
The Gallery Place AT&T store sits in the busiest intersection in D.C. Everyone from tourists to Capitol Hill staffers pass through the area every day, and it is next door to the city’s biggest event venue — the Verizon Center. That means we’ll be able to educate the public about how AT&T is undermining their privacy, tell policy makers these kind of closed-door deals will not stand, and demand a response from AT&T, who so far has brushed off the issue by saying they “rarely receive complaints that company operations have negatively affected users’ freedom of expression or privacy rights.”
The more money we raise, the bigger splash we can make. Will you help make this happen?
