Verizon Opts Wireless Customers Into Data-Collecting Program

Verizon Wireless customers should probably take a look at their account settings. Input reports that the carrier has automatically enrolled its customers in a new data-collection program called Verizon Custom Experience.

The company says in a support article that “your participation in our Custom Experience programs helps us personalize our communications with you, give you more relevant product and service recommendations, and develop plans, services, and offers that are more appealing to you.” Verizon Wireless customers are encouraged to provide even more data via the Custom Experience Plus program.

This is how Verizon characterizes the data it collects via Custom Experience:

Custom Experience uses information about the websites you visit and the apps you use on your mobile device to help us determine your interests, such as “sports lover” or “outdoor enthusiast.” We use only the first part of the web addresses (URLs) you visit (the part that includes the top level domain and subdomain of the URL); we do not use information past the first “/” or “?” in the URL. For example, we would be able to infer you are interested in “news” if you visit a news-related website, but we wouldn't know what news article you read.

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Custom Experience Plus uses that info as well as location data, “information about your Verizon Fios services,” and Customer Proprietary Network Information that ranges from “information about the phone numbers you call or that call you and the times you receive these calls” to “information about the quantity, type, destination, location, and amount of use of your Verizon telecommunications and interconnected voice over internet protocol (VoIP) services.”

The company notes that it “may combine the interests we develop in the Customer Experience programs with other information that we already use,” too, which means the support article doesn't fully cover the amount of personal data Verizon is collecting about its customers via the Custom Experience and Custom Experience Plus programs. More information about what Verizon collects and how it uses that data is buried in the company's privacy policy.

Input reports that Verizon automatically enabled Custom Experience for its customers when the program was introduced. Leaving the program is supposed to be as simple as disabling it via the privacy settings page in the account settings. (It's not unheard of for companies to accidentally—ahem—continue to collect information after they've been asked not to.) But enrolling customers in the program by default still isn't the best look.

In a statement, Verizon said the program customizes “experiences and interactions with Verizon, and only Verizon. This allows us to provide customers with more relevant product and service recommendations and helps to develop plans, services, and offers that are more appealing to them.

“These programs do not involve any use or sharing of information for third-party targeted advertising,” it added. “Customers can opt out of Custom Experience, or Choose to opt in to Custom Experience Plus, at any time by visiting the privacy preferences page on the MyVerizon site or app.”

T-Mobile rolled out a similar program earlier this year; it said it would notify affected customers and let them opt out. As the Wall Street Journal reported at the time, AT&T also has a “basic ad program” that auto-enrolls customers, plus an opt-in “enhanced version” that scoops up more details with partners.

Editors' Note: This story was updated with Verizon's statement.