Verizon Communications : reacts to FCC privacy order

WASHINGTON - The Federal Communications Commission today approved a new set of privacy rules for Internet Service Providers. The following statement should be attributed to Kathy Grillo, Verizon senior vice president and deputy general counsel, public policy and government affairs:

'Verizon is encouraged by the preliminary information we heard this morning about the privacy order approved by the FCC. Our company cares deeply about our customers' privacy, and we strongly believe maintaining consumer trust is critical in each facet of our operations.

From the outset of this proceeding, we stressed the importance of creating a consistent approach to privacy that gives consumers the same information and choices about the use of their data, regardless of the type of company they interact with online.

While we will need to closely review the text of the FCC order after it is released, the final order appears to adopt rules that are much more closely aligned with the Federal Trade Commission's privacy framework that has long applied to our ISP business and that continues to apply to the rest of the internet ecosystem.'