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How mobile carriers make money off your data behind your back (adguard.com)

submitted 7 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

2 comments fedilink hide all child comments

TL;DR version:

Mobile carriers collect and sell customer data for profit.
Carriers use various methods to collect data, including default settings that enroll customers in data collection programs without their knowledge or consent, and opt-in programs that require explicit consent but may use misleading language or design to trick users into agreeing.
Major mobile carriers, such as AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile, collect customer data through their privacy policies, which often go unread by consumers.
Carriers collect various data, including web browsing history, app usage, device location, demographic information, and more. Carriers also combine data collected from customers with information from external sources, such as credit reports, marketing mailing lists, and social media posts.
They use this data to create models and inferences about customers' interests and buying intentions, which they then share with advertisers for targeted advertising.
Individuals can choose to opt out of data collection initiatives, utilize Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to limit data accessibility, and change to alternate Domain Name System (DNS) servers to reduce the amount of data gathered.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago

I use the free AdGuard DNS for my phone, which has worked beautifully for me. At home I do my own DNS filtering.

Glad this was posted, because I double-checked my privacy settings on Visible (Verizon's MVNO) and I was opted in to marketing bs even though I thought I did a full sweep when I switched to their service.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago

T-Mobile’s privacy policy says that it collects app usage data from its customers and shares it with advertisers for ‘Relevant Ads,’ unless the customers opt out. Notably, this only affects Android users, as Apple users are spared. Mobile advertising ID (MAID) of iOS users — which is an identifier that is used to track user behavior and preferences for ad purposes — is not so readily available anymore since 2021, when Apple introduced App Tracking Transparency (ATT) feature. The feature made it much easier for iOS users to opt out of third-party tracking, which made iOS devices less useful for advertising.

I have so many more questions now.

On the Apple side

How does Apple provide data to T-Mobile? I assumed connections to their servers would be encrypted and the advertising ID, along with everything else, would be unusable.

On the Android side

How does Android provide an advertising ID to T-Mobile, and how do you opt out of giving it to them? There seems to be a "simple" opt-out available on it too:

Settings > Google > All Settings > Ads > Delete Advertising ID

And if this doesn't work, why does it work for Apple but not Android?