Submitted by Fred Straker on
Using an iPhone on the Verizon Wireless network? It may surprise you how much your service provider is tracking your every move while connected to its cellular towers. To provide enhanced personalization for Custom Experience and Custom Experience Plus for its customers, Verizon must collect data. Data such as your favorite apps, which websites you read, and where your iPhone is located.
Verizon builds a profile of your online habits, then uses this profile to deliver "communications, recommendations and offers" that match your profile. In other words, they track your network usage to deliver targeted advertisements. While all wireless carriers track their customers to some degree, Verizon automatically opts-in all of its customers without permission.
The built in privacy protections in iOS cannot prevent this type of tracking, since Verizon acts as your ISP every time you connect to their network. There is a way to stop this level of tracking and opt-out of one or both Customer Experience programs.
Follow these steps to opt-out of Verizon tracking on iPhone:Opt-out in the My Verizon app
- Launch the My Verizon app
- Make sure you are signed into your account from the Settings (gear icon) menu at top right
- Swipe down and tap Manage Privacy Settings
- Choose your phone number -> Privacy Settings
- Turn Custom Experience -> OFF
- Turn Custom Experience Plus -> OFF
- Choose Custom Experience Settings -> Reset to erase your tracking data
Opt-out on the Verizon website
- Launch a web browser and sign into your Verizon account
- Choose Account -> Account Settings -> Privacy Settings
- Turn all items under Custom Experience -> OFF
- Navigate to Manage Settings -> Reset to erase your tracking data
- Turn all items under Custom Experience Plus -> OFF
- Navigate to Manage Settings -> Reset to erase your tracking data