ST. LOUIS:
Cable television and Internet service provider Charter Communications is
conducting consumer outreach in the wake of its decision to
suspend a program
offering advertisers data on its customers' Web-browsing habits.
Charter plans to immediately send letters to customers located in what were the four prospective-test markets: Oxford, MA; Newtown, CT; Fort Worth, TX; and San Luis Obispo, CA. The letter will notify them that Charter will not implement the pilot program, according to Anita
Lamont, Charter director of communications.
The cable provider is
also providing a statement on the decision for reporters and bloggers, as well
as talking points on what it believes were misconceptions about the pilot program,
Lamont said.
Charter had planned to test the program in conjunction with
advertising company NebuAd. The provider notified affected customers in April
about it plans to test the monitoring program.
Reps. Edward Markey (D-MA) and Joe Barton (R-TX) sent a
letter to Neil Smit, Charter president and CEO, in May requesting that the
company freeze the pilot program. Markey released a statement on June 24
commending Charter for suspending the program and urging other Internet service
providers to delay implementing similar programs.