Ironically, their claim that releasing the data would make them look bad makes them look bad. Rather than giving us data that we could use to reach the conclusion that they are bad, they simply said "we are bad" with no room to argue. Brillant.
"He found that Cox Communications charges $2,500 to fulfill a pen register/trap-and-trace order for 60 days, and $2,000 for each additional 60-day-interval. It charges $3,500 for the first 30 days of a wiretap, and $2,500 for each additional 30 days. Thirty days worth of a customer’s call detail records costs $40.<p>Comcast’s pricing list, which was already leaked to the internet in 2007, indicated that it charges at least $1,000 for the first month of a wiretap, and $750 per month thereafter."<p>Ah, now I see. It's a profit deal.<p>I suppose if the police just demanded the information free, the telcos would cite the Constitution. But since they're paid ...