Verizon: Difference between revisions
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{{ | |Description=American wireless carrier | ||
| | |Founded=1983 | ||
|Industry=Telecommuncations | |||
| Founded =1983 | |Logo=Verizon logo 2024.png | ||
| Industry =Telecommuncations | |ParentCompany= | ||
| | |Type=Public | ||
|Website=https://verizon.com/ | |||
}}'''[[wikipedia:Verizon|Verizon Communications, Inc.]]''' is a major American telecommunications company headquartered in New York, New York. Verizon is the [[wikipedia:List_of_telecommunications_companies#World's_largest_telecom_companies_by_total_revenue|second-largest telecommunications company in the world]] by revenue and has the [[wikipedia:List_of_United_States_wireless_communications_service_providers|largest wireless network in the United States]] with 146 million subscribers as of December 31, 2024.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=31 Dec 2024 |title=Financial and Operating Information |url=https://www.verizon.com/about/file/74377/download?token=aFR5AvZZ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250124153521/https://www.verizon.com/about/file/74377/download?token=aFR5AvZZ |archive-date=24 Jan 2025 |access-date=28 May 2025}}</ref> | }} | ||
'''[[wikipedia:Verizon|Verizon Communications, Inc.]]''' is a major American telecommunications company headquartered in New York, New York. Verizon is the [[wikipedia:List_of_telecommunications_companies#World's_largest_telecom_companies_by_total_revenue|second-largest telecommunications company in the world]] by revenue and has the [[wikipedia:List_of_United_States_wireless_communications_service_providers|largest wireless network in the United States]] with 146 million subscribers as of December 31, 2024.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=31 Dec 2024 |title=Financial and Operating Information |url=https://www.verizon.com/about/file/74377/download?token=aFR5AvZZ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250124153521/https://www.verizon.com/about/file/74377/download?token=aFR5AvZZ |archive-date=24 Jan 2025 |access-date=28 May 2025}}</ref> | |||
In 2017, the Electronic Frontier Foundation awarded Verizon with a 1 out of 5 stars privacy rating, the same as Verizon's largest competitors, AT&T and T-Mobile.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reitman |first=Rainey |date=10 Jul 2017 |title=Who Has Your Back? Government Data Requests 2017 |url=https://www.eff.org/who-has-your-back-2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170710152401/https://www.eff.org/who-has-your-back-2017 |archive-date=10 Jul 2017 |access-date=28 May 2025 |website=EFF}}</ref> | In 2017, the Electronic Frontier Foundation awarded Verizon with a 1 out of 5 stars privacy rating, the same as Verizon's largest competitors, AT&T and T-Mobile.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reitman |first=Rainey |date=10 Jul 2017 |title=Who Has Your Back? Government Data Requests 2017 |url=https://www.eff.org/who-has-your-back-2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170710152401/https://www.eff.org/who-has-your-back-2017 |archive-date=10 Jul 2017 |access-date=28 May 2025 |website=EFF}}</ref> | ||
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===Supercookie insertion (2012-2015)=== | ===Supercookie insertion (2012-2015)=== | ||
Verizon Wireless was caught inserting customer- or device-unique cookies into HTTP requests starting in 2012<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shahani |first=Aarti |date=8 Mar 2016 |title=Verizon Settles With FCC Over 'Supercookies' Allegations |url=https://www.npr.org/2016/03/08/469606418/verizon-settles-with-fcc-over-supercookies-allegations |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309111919/https://www.npr.org/2016/03/08/469606418/verizon-settles-with-fcc-over-supercookies-allegations |archive-date=9 Mar 2016 |access-date=28 May 2025 |website=www.npr.org}}</ref> | Verizon Wireless was caught inserting customer- or device-unique [[Web cookie|cookies]] into HTTP requests starting in 2012<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shahani |first=Aarti |date=8 Mar 2016 |title=Verizon Settles With FCC Over 'Supercookies' Allegations |url=https://www.npr.org/2016/03/08/469606418/verizon-settles-with-fcc-over-supercookies-allegations |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309111919/https://www.npr.org/2016/03/08/469606418/verizon-settles-with-fcc-over-supercookies-allegations |archive-date=9 Mar 2016 |access-date=28 May 2025 |website=www.npr.org}}</ref> | ||
=== | ===Verizon App Manager (2019-Present)=== | ||
At least as far back as December of 2019, many Android devices purchased through Verizon Wireless have come with Verizon App Manager preinstalled. The software is most present on Samsung devices purchased through Verizon. Verizon App Manager is a program that downloads apps onto the device without the user's permission, often doing so while the phone is being used without warning. These apps are often low-quality free mobile games that themselves contain ads, however some more prominent apps downloaded include Disney+, Yahoo Mail, and Yelp.<ref>{{Cite web |last=pkim168 |date=19 Feb 2020 |title=Verizon App Manager installing apps without permission |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/GalaxyS9/comments/f65q87/verizon_app_manager_installing_apps_without/?utm_source=chatgpt.com |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220709092257/https://old.reddit.com/r/GalaxyS9/comments/f65q87/verizon_app_manager_installing_apps_without/ |archive-date=9 Jul 2022 |access-date=17 Oct 2025 |website=Reddit}}</ref> | At least as far back as December of 2019, many Android devices purchased through Verizon Wireless have come with Verizon App Manager preinstalled. The software is most present on Samsung devices purchased through Verizon. Verizon App Manager is a program that downloads apps onto the device without the user's permission, often doing so while the phone is being used without warning. These apps are often low-quality free mobile games that themselves contain ads, however some more prominent apps downloaded include Disney+, Yahoo Mail, and Yelp.<ref>{{Cite web |last=pkim168 |date=19 Feb 2020 |title=Verizon App Manager installing apps without permission |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/GalaxyS9/comments/f65q87/verizon_app_manager_installing_apps_without/?utm_source=chatgpt.com |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220709092257/https://old.reddit.com/r/GalaxyS9/comments/f65q87/verizon_app_manager_installing_apps_without/ |archive-date=9 Jul 2022 |access-date=17 Oct 2025 |website=Reddit}}</ref> | ||
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===Selling Consumer Data (2024)=== | ===Selling Consumer Data (2024)=== | ||
FCC found that all major telecommunications companies were illegally selling customer's location data. FCC fined AT&T $57 million, Sprint $12 million, T-Mobile $80 million, and Verizon $46 million amounting to nearly $200 million.<ref>{{Cite web |date=29 Apr 2024 |title=FCC FINES AT&T, SPRINT, T-MOBILE, AND VERIZON NEARLY $200 MILLION FOR ILLEGALLY SHARING ACCESS TO CUSTOMERS’ LOCATION DATA |url=https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-402213A1.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429193144/https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-402213A1.pdf |archive-date=29 Apr 2024 |access-date=28 May 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Shepardson |first=David |date=29 Apr 2024 |title=FCC fines US wireless carriers over illegal location data sharing |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/fcc-fines-us-wireless-carriers-nearly-200-million-over-illegal-location-data-2024-04-29/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https:// | FCC found that all major telecommunications companies were illegally selling customer's location data. FCC fined AT&T $57 million, Sprint $12 million, T-Mobile $80 million, and Verizon $46 million amounting to nearly $200 million.<ref>{{Cite web |date=29 Apr 2024 |title=FCC FINES AT&T, SPRINT, T-MOBILE, AND VERIZON NEARLY $200 MILLION FOR ILLEGALLY SHARING ACCESS TO CUSTOMERS’ LOCATION DATA |url=https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-402213A1.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429193144/https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-402213A1.pdf |archive-date=29 Apr 2024 |access-date=28 May 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Shepardson |first=David |date=29 Apr 2024 |title=FCC fines US wireless carriers over illegal location data sharing |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/fcc-fines-us-wireless-carriers-nearly-200-million-over-illegal-location-data-2024-04-29/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240429180626/https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/fcc-fines-us-wireless-carriers-nearly-200-million-over-illegal-location-data-2024-04-29/ |archive-date=29 Apr 2024|access-date=28 May 2025 |website=Reuters}}</ref> | ||
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===Lobbying The FCC to Waive Device Unlocking Requirements (2025)=== | ===Lobbying The FCC to Waive Device Unlocking Requirements (2025)=== | ||
On May 19th, 2025 Verizon submitted a request to have the Federal Trade Commission to remove the current unlocking requirements for consumers who have purchased a device through a telecommunications provider. This requirement is a consumer protection for the device they purchased as after a device has been paid in full and has been active for at least 60 days on the network, the telecommunications provider must allow the device to be unlocked and that device is now free to connect to other carrier networks.<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 May 2025 |title=Verizon makes bold move to make it harder for customers to leave |url=https://www.thestreet.com/retail/verizon-makes-bold-move-to-make-it-harder-for-customers-to-leave |url-status=live |archive-url=https:// | On May 19th, 2025 Verizon submitted a request to have the Federal Trade Commission to remove the current unlocking requirements for consumers who have purchased a device through a telecommunications provider. This requirement is a consumer protection for the device they purchased as after a device has been paid in full and has been active for at least 60 days on the network, the telecommunications provider must allow the device to be unlocked and that device is now free to connect to other carrier networks.<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 May 2025 |title=Verizon makes bold move to make it harder for customers to leave |url=https://www.thestreet.com/retail/verizon-makes-bold-move-to-make-it-harder-for-customers-to-leave |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260219162353/https://www.thestreet.com/retail/verizon-makes-bold-move-to-make-it-harder-for-customers-to-leave |archive-date=19 Feb 2026|access-date=28 May 2025 |website=The Street}}</ref> | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||