Does your cell phone company share your personal information with other companies who may try to sell you something you don't want?

Cell Phones
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Cell phone carriers already have to disclose whether they're sharing the info, but that detail is typically buried deep in the fine print and let's be honest, who reads that?

New Jersey Assemblyman Ron Dancer has made protecting your privacy his personal crusade. His latest bill would require cell phone carriers to put their information sharing policy in bold and big letters in every contract.

"It's time that we became aware of what's happening with our personal information," explains Dancer. "Information sharing policies should be in every contract in letters that are bold and conspicuous to let you know that this telecommunication carrier can disclose your information."

According to Dancer, his legislation is intended to give consumers clarity about the privacy policies of telecommunications companies on their monthly bill and the conditions under which the company may disclose the customer's information.

The bill also directs the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to develop a public awareness campaign designed to let people read the "fine print" in an understandable way.

"First and foremost, this bill is designed to protect the consumer, who should be aware of what personal information is being shared or accessed by third parties," says Dancer. "A public awareness campaign by the BPU will let people know that by virtue of signing with a telecommunications carrier, they may have implicitly approved of the sharing of proprietary information with other companies."

The Assemblyman says he remains deeply concerned about the erosion of our privacy and the weakening of our Fourth Amendment constitutional privacy rights.

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