Wait-a-Second, Who Owns My Data?

So what does that have to do with AT&T's new privacy policy? Well, the changes being made give AT&T more flexibility in "sharing" the personal data of their customers with the government. As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle:

The new policy says that AT&T -- not customers -- owns customers' confidential info and can use it "to protect its legitimate business interests, safeguard others, or respond to legal process."

The policy also indicates that AT&T will track the viewing habits of customers of its new video service -- something that cable and satellite providers are prohibited from doing.

So who owns my/your private data now? It would seem that the trend is that large corporations own it. A large media company like AT&T would know a lot about its customers, too, wouldn't it? Like name and address; and for local phone customers - phone numbers (listed and unlisted); and for broadband customers - IP address, sites visited, e-mail, etc.

I think this is a travesty. I thought we lived in the "land of the free"?

What do you think?