Privacy policy?
Today in the mail a true delight — an update on the privacy policy for my Chase credit card. The policy comes (refreshingly) in the form of a FAQ. Here’s a paraphrase:
What information do you have about me?
“To provide services and to help meet your needs, we collect information about you from various sources.” [Is that the only reason?]
Is information about me shared within your family of companies?
Yes “as required or permitted by law.”
Is information about me shared with service provides and financial companies outside your family of companies?
“Yes, as permitted by law:” marketers, people who offer services like ours
Is information about me shared non-financial companies outside your family of companies?
Yes: retailers, auto dealers, makers, direct marketers, membership clubs.
Is information about me shared in any other way?
Yes.
What choices do I have about information sharing?
You can tell us not to share information with non-financial outside companies. “Even if you tell us not to share, we may do so as required or permitted by law.”
You an tell us not to share with our family of companies. “Even if you do tell us not to share, we may share other types of information within our family.”
Ok, so I should commend them with sending me this (apparently) every year. But really. I tell them not to share my information, and they still may do so (I love the “as required or permitted by law” proviso. As though they will break the law otherwise (apparently, possibly with internal sharing, since they didn’t say anything there)). Be forewarned I shall.
So to review: nothing I do with them is private, and I am given the option to tell them to stop, which they may decide to follow. Fantastic.
