CDT's Privacy Policy

Did you receive a spam (junk e-mail message) that referred to CDT's Operation Opt-Out web site? Information is available about these messages and why Opt-Out can't work for e-mail. Posted September 4, 2001, updated March 11, 2002

May 12, 2008

Dear Concerned Consumer,

Are you tired of getting all that junk mail? Telephone calls during dinner? Worried about who has your name on a list and what they're doing with it? If so, this site is for you.

You may not realize it, but a company you have done business with may have sold or shared your personal information to other companies. In some cases, you have the power to stop this practice. Many companies give you the option to get off (or "opt-out" of) lists that share your information.

Some companies make the task of opting out relatively easy - some even let you do it online. Other companies make it difficult for you to opt out: addresses are buried, you can't opt-out online, etc. Some companies have even used the low rate at which individuals opt-out to argue that consumers don't really care about their privacy.

We know you care about privacy. We've created this web site to make it as easy as possible for you to opt-out of having your personal information shared and sold by the companies you interact with. Here's how you can get your name off the lists:

1) In the "Generate Opt-Out Forms" section - We have taken many of the companies that do not allow you to opt-out online and created a system so that you can: a) generate a group of letters, b) print them out individually, c) fill in the particularly sensitive information, and d) mail them in to the proper address (sorry, but you'll have to provide your own postage).

2) In the "Opt Out Online" section - We have set up links to the companies that do allow you to opt-out online. We place these links within frames so that you can simply fill out each opt-out form and then move on to the next one.

3) In the "Featured" section - We focus on specific information practices or types of online companies. So far, we have highlighted portals and online profilers. We will periodically add new categories. Alerts on new features will be e-mailed to the CDT activist list, so sign-up if you want to be notified of the latest steps you can take to protect your privacy.