theMany writes "From an e-mail on April 24, 2011
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Dear Valued Verizon Customer,
Good news! Below please find the description of changes to the Verizon Online Terms of Service (TOS) effective 4/19/11.
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3. Home Router Password Changes. Section 10.4 was updated to clarify that Verizon may in limited instances modify administrative passwords for home routers in order to safeguard Internet security and our network, the security and privacy of subscriber information, to comply with the law, and/or to provide, upgrade and maintain service. The administrative password for your home router is used to access the “administrative” controls for the router and to make changes to your router’s internal settings. We will use reasonable means to notify Subscribers whose home router administrative passwords are changed, which may include email notice to your Primary Email Address and/or an announcement on the My Verizon portal.
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1. Does this policy bother others like it bothers me?
2. How may a user be held responsible for their TOS obligations when Verizon can essentially prevent them from administering access to the broadband from their side of the interface? For example, Verizon could prevent user control of the wireless access point to include management of passwords, encryption/type, SSID broadcast, MAC access table, etc.
3. What are the legal implications?
4. What are the privacy implications?
5. Ref the AcionTek routers used by Verizon: Is there a way to prevent modification of the admin password at the user site that requires Verizon to actually interact with a human there — first? (internal settings, board-level jumper, etc.)"
