Verizon Wireless said it shut down an Internet firm that was selling its customers’ calling records.
“Accessing a person’s personal telephone records without a valid court order or the customer’s permission is illegal,” said Steven Zipperstein, the carrier’s general counsel and vice president of legal and external affairs. “Verizon Wireless will protect our customers against these kinds of assaults on their privacy, and we will use every weapon in our legal arsenal to shut down identity-theft operations.”
A New Jersey superior court judge ordered a permanent injunction against Cookeville, Tenn.-based Source Resources Inc. for selling Verizon Wireless calling records. As part of the settlement between Verizon Wireless and Source Resources, the company also agreed to give Verizon Wireless records of its transactions and information about how it previously obtained customer records.
Verizon previously has sued companies sending unwanted text messages to its subscribers and telemarketers making unwanted calls to its subscribers.
