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T-Mobile launches next month with a new app that provides customers with web browsing and device usage data, unless customers prefer the data exchange.
“[S]from April 26, 2021, T – Mobile launches a new application that uses data we have about you, including information we learn from your web and device usage data (such as the applications installed on your device) and interactions with our products and services for our own and third-party advertising, unless you tell us not to do so, “T-Mobile said in a privacy notice. If we share this information with third parties, it is not linked to your name or information that you directly identify. “
See the first section of the T-Mobile Privacy Notice for instructions on how to choose from the extended data sharing. Here is also a link for subscription.
T-Mobile, which completed its acquisition of Sprint in April 2020, said the new advertising program is changing the way Sprint has offered sharing in the past, as this data has previously only been used if you indicated it first was good with you. “
It’s not clear exactly how big a change this is for non-Sprint customers of T-Mobile. A version of the August 2020 privacy policy states that T-Mobile collects “visited websites and URLs”, but that the smart customers’ web page data is not shared in the list with third parties. However, the August 2020 version states that T-Mobile “sold device identifiers and Internet and electronic networking activities to facilitate certain advertising activities commonly used by online and technology businesses.” A similar disclosure was also in T-Mobile’s privacy policy prior to the acquisition of Sprint.
T-Mobile says on another website that describes its advertising and analytics program, that it collects’ addresses from visited websites; types of websites visited, such as sports websites, music websites, etc .; Applications, content and features used – including how much time you use them and information from servers offering these apps, content and features. “
Ad IDs are used instead of customer names
To anonymize data before it is sold to third parties, T-Mobile said it would bind the information “to your mobile ad identifier or another unique identifier” instead of the customer’s name. But you have to take the word of T-Mobile about how anonymous the anonymous data actually is. “[P]Awareness groups say the IDs can be linked to people by comparing different data sets, ‘The Wall Street Journal noted in an article on the T-Mobile changes.
“It’s hard to say with a straight face, ‘We’re not going to share your name with you,'” Aaron Mackey, a lawyer for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, told the Journal. “This type of data is very personal and revealing. and it’s insignificant to link that unidentified information back to you. “
Prior to the merger with T-Mobile, Sprint had previously only shared similar data from customers who chose their third-party advertising program, the Journal wrote. “We’ve heard a lot of people say they prefer more relevant ads, so this is our standard [opt-out] institution, “a T-Mobile spokesman told the Journal.
We asked T-Mobile several questions about the changes in data exchange and for details on how exactly it ensures that data can not be linked to individual customers, and we will update this article as we respond.
The share of AT&T and Verizon does not go that far
The Journal article said that T-Mobile is more aggressive in sharing the Internet usage data of individual customers with advertisers than AT&T and Verizon:
AT&T automatically enrolls wireless subscribers in a basic advertising program that brings them together in groups based on derivative interests, such as sports or buying a car. An improved version of the program shares more detailed personal information with partners of customers who opt for it.
Verizon also seeks subscriber data before sharing inferences with advertisers, with a more detailed share program called Verizon Selects for subscribers. Its separate Verizon Media division shares data collected by its Yahoo and AOL brands.
AT&T states on this website that “We do not share information about your individual web browsing or TV viewing” in its “relevant advertising” system, but provides an “enhanced relevant advertising” system that only provides additional information with customers’ prior explicit Share. permission. “
Verizon states in a relevant mobile advertising FAQ that “Information that Verizon Wireless has about web activity from your mobile device is not used in the application.” The program does use “mobile and online web browsing information” collected by Verizon’s affiliates Yahoo and AOL, but does not appear to be able to browse non-Verizon Web sites. Customers can subscribe to this targeted advertising program.
In 2016, Verizon agreed to pay a $ 1.35 million fine and give users more control over ‘super-cookies’ that customers identify to deliver targeted ads. Verizon’s previous use of the Super Cookies without properly notifying users violates an FCC rule that requires ISPs to disclose accurate information about network management practices to consumers.
Carriers sold location data without permission
T-Mobile and the other major airline providers were earlier caught selling their customers’ real-time location data to third-party brokers without the client’s permission, which prohibits a law prohibiting the sale of data for telephone locations. In February 2020, the Federal Communications Commission proposed a $ 91 million fine for T-Mobile, the largest for any of the major airlines, but T-Mobile said it would fight the fine.
The FCC era The FCC tried to require home Internet and mobile broadband providers to obtain permission for consumers before they could use, share or sell the history of web browsing and applications, but a Republican-controlled Congress and then-President Trump ruled killed in 2017 before taking effect.