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Verizon Wireless sells out customers with creepy new tactic

Summerwind

Summerwind

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Verizon Wireless sells out customers with creepy new tactic - latimes.com

By David Lazarus April 24, 2014, 7:04 p.m.

As far as corporate notices go, they don't get much creepier than this recent alert from Verizon Wireless.
The company says it's "enhancing" its Relevant Mobile Advertising program, which it uses to collect data on customers' online habits so that marketers can pitch stuff at them with greater precision.


"In addition to the customer information that's currently part of the program, we will soon use an anonymous, unique identifier we create when you register on our websites," Verizon Wireless is telling customers.



"This identifier may allow an advertiser to use information they have about your visits to websites from your desktop computer to deliver marketing messages to mobile devices on our network," it says.

That means exactly what it looks like: Verizon will monitor not just your wireless activities but also what you do on your wired or Wi-Fi-connected laptop or desktop computer — even if your computer doesn't have a Verizon connection.
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Okay this is creepy, imo. However if the part of the article below is accurate, you should be able to simply clear your cookies after a session at Verizon and be safe. Additionally, may I again recommend NoScript and learn how to use.

Debra Lewis, a Verizon Wireless spokeswoman, explained to me that when a customer registers on the company's "My Verizon" website to see a bill or watch TV online, a "cookie," or tracking software, is downloaded onto the customer's home computer.

Most cookies are benign, allowing websites to provide better service to frequent visitors.


Verizon Wireless' cookie allows a data-collection company working on Verizon's behalf — Lewis declined to name which one — to gather information on which sites you visit after you leave "My Verizon."
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One other option that comes to mind is a Firefox private window wherein it won't keep any cookies or cache from the sites you visit while in private window mode, or so it says.
 


That's for the general view.

This is for internet.

 
"This identifier may allow an advertiser to use information they have about your visits to websites from your desktop computer to deliver marketing messages to mobile devices on our network," it says.
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Ahum, and it's unique too I'll bet.

I am so glad I never got out of the dumb phones me & spouse use, just text & talk, that's all we need. They, (phone providers) need to know nothing more than I want them to know.
 
This is closer to the tinfoil hat section. So Verizon Wireless is going to send you advertising, but you object to the idea that they are going to send you advertising that is more likely to be relevant to your interests. Complain about receiving advertising at all on a device you are paying for more than their desire to at least make the advertising applicable to you.
 
I think people like Doubleclick have been doing something similar for years.
 
AliHajiSheik said:
This is closer to the tinfoil hat section. So Verizon Wireless is going to send you advertising, but you object to the idea that they are going to send you advertising that is more likely to be relevant to your interests. Complain about receiving advertising at all on a device you are paying for more than their desire to at least make the advertising applicable to you.
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But that's part of the creepiness of all this data collection.

I HATE targeted advertising, and it discourages me from visiting some online catalogues in which I'm interested. I know if I do, I'm going to be dogged for weeks.
 
AliHajiSheik said:
This is closer to the tinfoil hat section. So Verizon Wireless is going to send you advertising, but you object to the idea that they are going to send you advertising that is more likely to be relevant to your interests. Complain about receiving advertising at all on a device you are paying for more than their desire to at least make the advertising applicable to you.
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It means they'll be following me around as I go about the internet. People are already paying for Verizon, why should Verizon be forcing ads upon them as well. Ads are generally associated with free services that get their income from advertising while you're visiting their site. Not this sort of doubling up. Additionally if someone has a Verizon phone but some other internet service, they've got no business piggy backing like that either, imo.

I know that there are some other sites that do this, but they are generally free sites. Perhaps it's not as untoward as I feel it is, but I can assure you that I will be recommending to my daughter to not switch our family plan to Verizon as the current contract not with Verizon is near to it's end.
 
Summerwind said:
It means they'll be following me around as I go about the internet. People are already paying for Verizon, why should Verizon be forcing ads upon them as well. Ads are generally associated with free services that get their income from advertising while you're visiting their site. Not this sort of doubling up. Additionally if someone has a Verizon phone but some other internet service, they've got no business piggy backing like that either, imo.

I know that there are some other sites that do this, but they are generally free sites. Perhaps it's not as untoward as I feel it is, but I can assure you that I will be recommending to my daughter to not switch our family plan to Verizon as the current contract not with Verizon is near to it's end.
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So I recently made a purchase at JC Penney dot com on my desktop, after the purchase, I cleared my browser cache, and closed it afterwards.

I then go back online, and visit a few websites, and ads for JC Penny and suggestions of what I had just purchased are present on the pages I view.

So, clearing the cache doesn't even work.

I'm not so sure I even like the internet anymore, not with the way our browsing history is tracked.
 
AJiveMan said:
So I recently made a purchase at JC Penney dot com on my desktop, after the purchase, I cleared my browser cache, and closed it afterwards.

I then go back online, and visit a few websites, and ads for JC Penny and suggestions of what I had just purchased are present on the pages I view.

So, clearing the cache doesn't even work.

I'm not so sure I even like the internet anymore, not with the way our browsing history is tracked.
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Get an add-on called NoScript. You can block that stuff. It can be easy or not, but it's best if you just set it to disallow all javascript then temporarily allow the site requests one by one til the site works, then just close the browser or "Revoke Temporary Permissions" when you leave the page. The other thing is if you clicked the "Remember Me" aspect of signing in to a site, it'll put more than a cookie in cache, iirc. It's like staying signed into google, google can then follow me around even if I have them disallowed via NoScript, I haven't figured out why or how. If I sign out and use NoScript, it can't seem to follow me.
 
I agree with the OP. It's not only creepy, it smacks of an invasion of privacy. If you pay Verizon to provide a service - phone access and/or internet access - they should stick with providing you what you pay for, and never mind assuming that you're hiring them to be your personal assistant. I know you *can* fix the problem with a cache cleaning, but why should you even have to?
 
tres borrachos said:
I agree with the OP. It's not only creepy, it smacks of an invasion of privacy. If you pay Verizon to provide a service - phone access and/or internet access - they should stick with providing you what you pay for, and never mind assuming that you're hiring them to be your personal assistant. I know you *can* fix the problem with a cache cleaning, but why should you even have to?
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As AJiveMan mentioned above, clearing the cache may not work. That would be even creepier.
 
Summerwind said:
As AJiveMan mentioned above, clearing the cache may not work. That would be even creepier.
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That's been my unfortunate experience too! It's like it follows you everywhere.

I stayed at a hotel on business a couple of weeks ago. Now every time I open a browser, I see an ad for Marriott. :2mad:
 
tres borrachos said:
I agree with the OP. It's not only creepy, it smacks of an invasion of privacy. If you pay Verizon to provide a service - phone access and/or internet access - they should stick with providing you what you pay for, and never mind assuming that you're hiring them to be your personal assistant. I know you *can* fix the problem with a cache cleaning, but why should you even have to?
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Whenever I see or hear that phrase, I think of Mrs. Kravitz. :lol:
 
AJiveMan said:
Whenever I see or hear that phrase, I think of Mrs. Kravitz. :lol:
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:lol:

250px-Gladys_Kravitz.jpg
 
AJiveMan said:
Ahum, and it's unique too I'll bet.

I am so glad I never got out of the dumb phones me & spouse use, just text & talk, that's all we need. They, (phone providers) need to know nothing more than I want them to know.
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They can add this cookie to your home PC. Don't visit My Verizon on your home PC then either.
 
tres borrachos said:
:lol:

250px-Gladys_Kravitz.jpg
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I like the one where Sammy is taking a dip in her backyard pool, and Mrs. Kravitz sees her toweling off thinking Sammy has a swimming pool out back, and when she looks over the fence, all Gladys sees is a concrete patio. :lamo
 
tres borrachos said:
That's been my unfortunate experience too! It's like it follows you everywhere.

I stayed at a hotel on business a couple of weeks ago. Now every time I open a browser, I see an ad for Marriott. :2mad:
Click to expand...

Maybe I watch too many CSI programs, but before I did, I didn't know that investigators could triangulate a cell phone location just using cell tower signals. It's like our every move is being tracked, I don't like it.
 
AJiveMan said:
I like the one where Sammy is taking a dip in her backyard pool, and Mrs. Kravitz sees her toweling off thinking Sammy has a swimming pool out back, and when she looks over the fence, all Gladys sees is a concrete patio. :lamo
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I don't want to go off topic, but that was a great episode! Everything that involved Gladys was great. ABNER!!!!

Watch...now I'm going to see ads that somehow relate to Bewitched, Abner or swimming pools!
 
AJiveMan said:
Maybe I watch too many CSI programs, but before I did, I didn't know that investigators could triangulate a cell phone location just using cell tower signals. It's like our every move is being tracked, I don't like it.
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It's rather Orwellian if you think about it. That, and something I heard (I also watch a lot of CSI type shows) recently that the average person is caught on some variation of video about 22 times a day or something. Talk about creepy.
 
Summerwind said:
Verizon Wireless sells out customers with creepy new tactic - latimes.com

Okay this is creepy, imo. However if the part of the article below is accurate, you should be able to simply clear your cookies after a session at Verizon and be safe. Additionally, may I again recommend NoScript and learn how to use.

One other option that comes to mind is a Firefox private window wherein it won't keep any cookies or cache from the sites you visit while in private window mode, or so it says.
Click to expand...

Welcome to the future. It is annoying, but it's also going to become ubiquitous.
 
tres borrachos said:
It's rather Orwellian if you think about it. That, and something I heard (I also watch a lot of CSI type shows) recently that the average person is caught on some variation of video about 22 times a day or something. Talk about creepy.
Click to expand...

Years ago when I had windows 98se, I had a program that I paid $120.00 for a year for, and renewal for subsequent yearly subscriptions were like about sixty bucks, but, it had it's drawbacks, it actually slowed down the OS, which I had to put up with. But, it was definitely a very good program, it blocked and stopped most if not all unwanted tracking.

I just wonder if programs like that are available for people who use the latest phones?

I know of some pc programs that stop tracking data, but those cost quite a bit, and they take up some space too.

I think that was the problem with my old 98se OS, the anti tracking program took up too much space which hindered operating performance. I think it affected my old pc so much that some programs I had on it, were slow to open and to use.
 
Summerwind said:
Verizon Wireless sells out customers with creepy new tactic - latimes.com



Okay this is creepy, imo. However if the part of the article below is accurate, you should be able to simply clear your cookies after a session at Verizon and be safe. Additionally, may I again recommend NoScript and learn how to use.



One other option that comes to mind is a Firefox private window wherein it won't keep any cookies or cache from the sites you visit while in private window mode, or so it says.
Click to expand...

Verizon has always had an opt-out option.

Do you use Gmail, google search and other items. They are far worse than Verizon.

Clearing cookies does very little when all the info is saved in the .dat file (as it applies to PC's a few mentioned).
 
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