An article has been published which cites that Verizon and Verizon's "Precision Insights Division" have been using unique identifiers to seed web requests sent from customer phones to websites, which personally identify us as well as our location, without our knowledge. Has anyone read this? I'd like to know how this is legal and exactly where they figured this would increase their consumer base..
Article can be found here:
arstechnica.com/security/2014/10/verizon-wireless-injects-identifiers-link-its-users-to-web-requests/
And no option to opt out and turn it off. I checked out the test web site and it did confirm Verizon was sending a unique identifier for me. I would like this turned off and made an opt in / opt out choice.
I agree. From what's been said though, it would appear this has been going on for upwards of 2 years so I'm not sure opting-out at this point, would be of much use. Tailoring advertisements is one thing but allowing 3rd parties to de-anonymize you personally and identify your location and what you search is a totally different ballgame altogether. Tracking for law enforcement purposes is one thing and understandable. But making it accessible to 3rd parties other than law enforcement is unacceptable. If that is the case, Verizon can no longer tout a secure network and needs to be transparent on how it is handling customer data. This is easily viewed as a breach of data integrity and a breach of consumer trust.
There is another thread about this violation of customer trust here:
Customers are concerned about this and Verizon has not (1) supplied any reasonable answer for their breach of customer trust (2) nor a solution on how to remove this trackable ID from its customers phones (3) nor has Verizon apologized for the security and privacy breach it has caused its customers. When a company does not get out in front of issues like this and take immediate steps to remedy them, I have to assume they are complicit in the offense.
SHAME ON VERIZON. I hope customers leave in droves.
I couldn't agree more and thanks for linking that thread. It would seem Big Red is coaching their reps to screen responses on net neutrality and targeted advertising.. Funny, however their exec. and some of the 3rd parties who are paying for the information via Red's "Precision Insights Division" have spilled the beans on how that "anonymous/Unique Identifier", can be exploited. Another insightful link:
You can file a privacy complain with the FCC here
They're no longer injecting the header into my traffic, but no one can tell me what's changed - so it might have just been disabled on my account, or VZW might have decided to start honoring opt-outs.
You might check to see if they've done the same on your accounts.
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