Data tracking in 2024 seems inevitable. Whether you use an iPhone or an Android phone, your carrier is probably collecting all kinds of data about when, where, and how you use your phone. You can
This month, T-Mobile quietly began rolling out a new tracking method called “Profiling and Automated Determination.” This new option, discovered by Reddit users and The Mobile Report, is enabled by default. The company says it is not currently using the information it collects from such tracking, but it may be used in the future for “future decisions that have legal or similarly significant consequences.”
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But self-proclaimed “non-carriers” are not alone. All three major wireless providers in the United States collect data. Here's what it collects and how you can turn it off. Also, please note that there are some things that you need to continue to do, especially identity verification.
Although we focus on the three major wireless carriers that make up the bulk of the U.S. wireless market, it is possible that smaller providers and even home Internet services are engaged in similar collections. there is. You can learn what is collected and how you can adjust it by visiting your account profile or privacy page.
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AT&T
As mentioned above, T-Mobile isn't the only company collecting data about how you use their services. You can check your AT&T privacy settings by logging into your account. profile followed by Privacy choices.
Carriers have four main privacy toggles.
- Personalized Plus: This setting “uses data such as your web browsing and precise location to personalize” offers and ads. This data includes your precise location, web browsing, viewing history, and apps, as well as data that AT&T collects from advertisers, such as demographic information, zip code, and age range. The carrier says this data “does not access or use the content of your texts, emails, or calls.”
- Personalized: This option “enables the use of data for automated decision-making,” including using AI to generate more tailored ads and marketing “relevant to your interests.” It is on by default.
- Identification: This “allows us to help non-AT&T businesses perform identity verification and fraud prevention,” such as banks, so they can “protect accounts from fraud, verify identity, and ensure that certain transactions can be approved.” ” becomes possible. AT&T says it does not allow companies to use this certification “for purposes other than those services.” This is on by default.
- Share or sell my personal information: This will allow AT&T to “share limited information to create, deliver, and measure ads that users are likely to like,” including targeted ads. This is on by default.
You can easily toggle all of the four settings off, but we recommend leaving identity verification turned on for all lines in your account.
T-mobile
T-Mobile's privacy options are a bit more diverse.How to access the company Privacy centerlog in to your T-Mobile account and click. my account in the top right corner, followed by profile.From there, scroll to the bottom and select Privacy and notice and privacy dashboard.
From there you will see:
- Share data for public and scientific research. T-Mobile says the option will allow it to “support research efforts in the public interest, including responding to pandemics and developing new technologies.” The program, created last year, was in response to requests from “external researchers or research institutions,” the news agency said. T-Mobile says this data will be “anonymized to the greatest extent possible before being shared” and will not include personal information such as names, although location, demographic and usage data may be shared. Says. It also says that the data shared here will not be provided to law enforcement agencies.
- Analysis and reporting: It captures data from the device, including app usage information such as how often the device was opened and postal code, and combines it with “self-reported data such as age range (e.g. 25-34) and gender.” to create aggregated business and marketing reports. ' He will be available for use by T-Mobile and shared with other companies. The news agency said these reports do not identify individuals. This is on by default.
- Advertising options: This is for personalized advertising, where carriers collect details about the apps you download and how long you use them, and combine them with other data they collect, such as location and demographics. As with similar options from other providers and sites, turning this off won't stop you from seeing ads, but if you leave these options on you'll be warned that you might see ads about things you like. higher,” the carrier said. This is on by default.
- Product development: This allows T-Mobile to use your personal data, such as your precise location, phone number, and the apps and websites you use, to help advertisers “improve the ads you see.” is also helpful.
- Profiling and automated decision making: This is T-Mobile's seemingly latest privacy option mentioned above, and while the carrier says it's not currently doing anything about it, it appears it will give itself the option to do so in the future. The company's site defines this as “to evaluate, analyze, or predict certain personal aspects about your work performance, financial situation, health, personal preferences, interests, reliability, behavior, location, or movements.” “Retrieve the personal data we collect about you.'' ” is turned on by default.
- Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. This allows you to instruct T-Mobile not to sell or share the data it holds about you with other companies. The company says on its site that it may share some personal information “with our service providers, for example, so that you can receive products and services from us.” As an annoying additional step, carriers on their websites can restrict the data that third-party advertisers share with his T-Mobile through the Magenta advertising platform, but you can opt out of that by downloading a separate app. It states that you need to do this.
We recommend that you turn off all of these options.
In addition to the dashboard, T-Mobile's Privacy Center website details something called “phone privacy.” T-Mobile says it uses the information collected here to “identify T-Mobile Calling Plan offers, protect against fraud, and respond to emergencies,” but the policy does not include “your name, It says it does not collect “addresses, phone numbers, or personal information.” Contents of the call. ” The company also said it does not share this data with other companies to “help market our products.”
verizon
Like T-Mobile, Verizon has a variety of options when it comes to privacy. This will appear when you log in and click on it. account after that account[アカウント]situation.choose from there Edit your profile and settings and select Manage your privacy settings.
From there you will see:
- Customer-specific network information: This allows Verizon to use information about you to sell you other services beyond what you're already paying. This is on by default.
- Business and marketing insights: It captures information about location, web browsing, “app/feature usage,” and user demographics and combines it with information Verizon obtains from other companies to determine if many people are in a particular location. It helps Verizon create “insights” such as whether you travel frequently. specific time. The carrier says this information is collected “in the aggregate” to help it and “others better understand consumer behavior.” This is on by default.
- Custom experience: This captures information about “the websites you visit and the apps you use” to “help us better understand your interests,” such as whether you like sports or games. . Verizon says it doesn't share or sell this information with others. It is on by default.
- Custom Experience Plus: This combines information collected from the CPNI and Custom Experience sections to help Verizon “personalize” marketing and recommendations to you and develop “plans, services, and offers that are more appealing to you.” ” You will be able to do it. This is an opt-in, and the carrier says it won't sell this data to other companies for their own advertising, but opting in here will automatically enable it. Business and marketing insights.
- Identification: This allows “certain account, device, and profile data” to be shared with third parties to “verify your identity and protect you from identity theft and account takeover.” This is on by default.
There is also. custom experience Using tabs custom experience and custom experience plus If you do this, Verizon will “stop using the web browsing and location data” it previously collected as part of the program.
We recommend turning off all of Verizon's options except for identity verification. It should be left alone.
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