Last week, USA Today reported that the National Security Agency has amassed a secret database of tens of millions of Americans’ phone records and that AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth had handed over the info to the NSA. (BellSouth denies that it provided its customers’ records.) According to the newspaper, the NSA launched this secret program to create “a database of every call ever made" within the nation's borders. Cox Communications and other cable telephone providers weren't approached by the NSA, perhaps because we are governed under The Cable Act, which provides an additional level of protection for customer’s privacy [click here for related article].

The Cable Act is very specific in terms of its protections for customer privacy and fairly restrictive on what operators may disclose. For this reason and because of our commitment to our customers’ privacy, Cox would never voluntarily provide customer information unless it was required by law, usually through a subpoena or a search warrant. The law does allow for one exception, which rarely occurs. In certain life threatening emergencies, cable companies are asked to provide law enforcement with assistance while a subpoena or court order is on its way.

This issue has gotten a lot of recent media coverage, and it’s obvious that Americans have strong opinions. Some Verizon customers have filed a lawsuit against Verizon for violation of several privacy laws, while a Verizon spokesperson claims that other customers have called in to thank Verizon for helping out with our national security. Either way, it’s important for all consumers to be aware of privacy policies and how companies adhere to these guidelines.