{"id":376237,"date":"2021-12-03T20:03:07","date_gmt":"2021-12-03T17:03:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/verizons-custom-experience-is-data-collection-in-disguise\/"},"modified":"2021-12-03T20:03:07","modified_gmt":"2021-12-03T17:03:07","slug":"verizons-custom-experience-is-data-collection-in-disguise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/verizons-custom-experience-is-data-collection-in-disguise\/","title":{"rendered":"#Verizon\u2019s \u201cCustom Experience\u201d Is Data Collection in Disguise"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#Verizon\u2019s \u201cCustom Experience\u201d Is Data Collection in Disguise”<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\"Verizon
Ken Wolter\/Shutterstock.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Verizon emailed customers about a new program called \u201cCustom Experience,\u201d which is the company\u2019s excuse to collect all kinds of data on you to help it provide more relevant information. That\u2019s all well and good, but the program is opt-out, which means you\u2019re enrolled by default.<\/p>\n

Input<\/a> first spotted a Verizon email about the program, and basically, it\u2019s the company telling customers that they\u2019re enrolled in the carrier\u2019s \u201cCustom Experience.\u201d This means Verizon uses all kinds of information about you, including websites you visit and app<\/a>s you use.<\/p>\n

On its\u00a0FAQ page<\/a>\u00a0Verizon says, \u201cCustom 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 \u2018sports lover\u2019 or \u2018outdoor enthusiast.’\u201d<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t worry, though, because the company says, \u201cWe make efforts to eliminate the use of websites that may be sensitive in nature; for example, we employ filters that are designed to exclude websites related to adult content, health conditions, sexual orientation, and others.\u201d<\/p>\n

How nice of Verizon to \u201cmake efforts\u201d to avoid websites you might not want the company to know about. Of course, making an effort means that the firm could fail and see every website you visit, including sensitive ones.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also \u201cCustom Experience Plus,\u201d which gives Verizon even more access. Verizon says this adds \u201cDevice location information we obtain from the Verizon network and from Verizon apps you have permitted to collect location for these purposes, information about your Verizon Fios services and customer Proprietary Network Information.\u201d<\/p>\n

Verizon does say that it doesn\u2019t sell the information to third-party advertisers. Instead, the information is for Verizon\u2019s purposes only. \u201cWe do not share information that identifies you outside of Verizon as part of these programs other than with service providers who work for us. These service providers are required to use the information only for the purposes Verizon defines and not for their own or others\u2019 marketing or advertising purposes,\u201d the FAQ reads.<\/p>\n

A version of this program has been around for some time, as Verizon offered something called \u201cVerizon Selects,\u201d which captured much of the same data but had third-party ads. \u201cVerizon Custom Experience Plus is the new name of our Verizon Selects program. The FAQs below describe that the Custom Experience Plus uses the same information as Selects, but no longer supports third-party advertising,\u201d the company\u2019s website<\/a> says.<\/p>\n

The biggest issue with this program is that it\u2019s opt-out. If you\u2019re on Verizon, you\u2019re enrolled in \u201cCustom Experience\u201d by default. \u201cYou will be part of the Custom Experience program unless you opt-out. You can opt-out using the privacy preferences page on the My Verizon site or the privacy setting page within the My Verizon app,\u201d says Verizon.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy to opt out through the Verizon app, but that doesn\u2019t mean making it opt-out is okay.\u00a0Log in with your account and uncheck the boxes next to \u201cCustom Experience\u201d and \u201cCustom Experience Plus\u201d to keep Verizon from seeing just about everything you do with your phone.<\/p>\n

We highly recommend you opt out, as there\u2019s no reason you\u2019d want your wireless carrier to see this much about what you\u2019re doing.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> Verizon Will Sell You a PS5 If You’re a Wireless Customer<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n