How can telephone companies obtain customer approval to use this information?
There are two ways companies obtain customer approval. One is by sending the customer a notice telling him or her that the company will use (and/or share with its affiliates or third parties) his or her CPNI to market telecommunications-related products and services that the customer does not currently subscribe to – unless the customer tells the company not to do so. This is known as the “opt-out” method, because the customer s approval is assumed unless he or she “opts-out” of the company s use of the CPNI. The other method is known as the “opt-in” method. Under this method, the company will not use, or share with its affiliates or third parties, the customer s CPNI to market to the customer non-telecommunications-related products and services that the customer does not currently subscribe to, unless the customer expressly gives the company permission to do so. In that way, the customer “opts-in” to the company s use of his or her CPNI.
