We all live in a connected world, and protecting customer data and safeguarding privacy have always been top priorities at Verizon, which is why we offer our customers choice and control over their privacy preferences, including easy-to-use tools to opt out of certain programs if they choose. Last year we updated our privacy policy, and we want to share more about what that means to you.
In 2011, we announced a number of new programs that will help companies better understand mobile consumers in a more detailed and efficient way. None of the data that is used in this program is personally-identifiable, and we do not sell raw data to third-parties. We are not selling your personal data. At the time these programs were announced, we informed our customers of the changes through updates to our privacy policy and through emails or direct mail, depending on preferences for how they wanted us to communicate these types of changes with them.
One of these programs provides insights into audiences on the move by connecting aggregated demographic, mobile usage, and location data into useful business and marketing reports. To be clear about this, we are aggregating customer data that has already been de-identified, which means none of it is personally identifiable information.
By packaging together information about demographics (age ranges, gender, etc.) and interests (such as “pet lovers” or “tennis enthusiasts”) with information about the types of people at a venue or who might pass a specific place, we improve advertisers’ ability to determine what ads to place on billboards or sporting events. This type of information can also be used by web publishers to help provide content that is more appealing to consumers.
The other program we introduced will help to make ads you see more relevant. When you use your wireless device, you often see ads on websites and apps. Relevant mobile advertising will help brands tailor the type of advertising you see on your mobile phone. The program uses certain consumer information such as your demographics and the postal address we have for you to determine whether you fit within an audience an advertiser is trying to reach. This program does not use the location of your device or browsing information.
Lastly, we’ve made it simple for customers to set and change their privacy preferences at any time, including opting out, by going to www.verizon.com/support/verizon-up-faqs or by calling the dedicated Interactive Voice Response Line at 1-866-211-0874.