Input first spotted a Verizon email about the program, and basically, it’s the company telling customers that they’re enrolled in the carrier’s “Custom Experience.” This means Verizon uses all kinds of information about you, including websites you visit and apps you use.
Don’t worry, though, because the company says, “We make efforts to eliminate the use of websites that may be sensitive in nature; for example, we employ filters that are designed to exclude websites related to adult content, health conditions, sexual orientation, and others.”
How nice of Verizon to “make efforts” to avoid websites you might not want the company to know about. Of course, making an effort means that the firm could fail and see every website you visit, including sensitive ones.
There’s also “Custom Experience Plus,” which gives Verizon even more access. Verizon says this adds “Device location information we obtain from the Verizon network and from Verizon apps you have permitted to collect location for these purposes, information about your Verizon Fios services and customer Proprietary Network Information.”
The biggest issue with this program is that it’s opt-out. If you’re on Verizon, you’re enrolled in “Custom Experience” by default. “You will be part of the Custom Experience program unless you opt-out. You can opt-out using the privacy preferences page on the My Verizon site or the privacy setting page within the My Verizon app,” says Verizon.
It’s easy to opt out through the Verizon app, but that doesn’t mean making it opt-out is okay. Log in with your account and uncheck the boxes next to “Custom Experience” and “Custom Experience Plus” to keep Verizon from seeing just about everything you do with your phone.
We highly recommend you opt out, as there’s no reason you’d want your wireless carrier to see this much about what you’re doing.
RELATED: Verizon Will Sell You a PS5 If You’re a Wireless Customer
