Verizon Wireless injects identifiers that link its users to Web requests
Cellular communications provider Verizon Wireless is adding cookie-like tokens to Web requests traveling over its network. These tokens are being used to build a detailed picture of users’ interests and to help clients tailor advertisements, according to researchers and Verizon’s own documentation.
The profiling, part of Verizon’s Precision Market Insights division, kicked off more than two years ago and expanded to cover all Verizon Wireless subscribers as part of the company’s Relevant Mobile Advertising service. It appends a per-device token known as the Unique Identifier Header (UIDH) to each Web request sent through its cellular network from a particular mobile device, allowing Verizon to link a website visitor to its own internal profiles. The service aims to allow client websites to target advertising at specific segments of the consumer market.
While the company started piloting the service two years ago, privacy experts only began warning of the issue this week, arguing that the service is essentially tracking users and that companies paid for a fundamental service that should not be using the data for secondary purposes.
http://arstechnica.com/security/2014/10/verizon-wireless-injects-identifiers-link-its-users-to-web-requests/
If there is a way to collect our data they will try anything.
"Cellular communications provider Verizon Wireless is adding cookie-like tokens to Web requests traveling over its network. These tokens are being used to build a detailed picture of users’ interests and to help clients tailor advertisements, according to researchers and Verizon’s own documentation.
The profiling, part of Verizon’s Precision Market Insights division, kicked off more than two years ago and expanded to cover all Verizon Wireless subscribers as part of the company’s Relevant Mobile Advertising service. It appends a per-device token known as the Unique Identifier Header (UIDH) to each Web request sent through its cellular network from a particular mobile device, allowing Verizon to link a website visitor to its own internal profiles. The service aims to allow client websites to target advertising at specific segments of the consumer market.
While the company started piloting the service two years ago, privacy experts only began warning of the issue this week, arguing that the service is essentially tracking users and that companies paid for a fundamental service that should not be using the data for secondary purposes."
Full Article
The provider adds cookie-like tokens to alert advertisers to users’ interests.
by Robert Lemos - Oct 24 2014"Cellular communications provider Verizon Wireless is adding cookie-like tokens to Web requests traveling over its network. These tokens are being used to build a detailed picture of users’ interests and to help clients tailor advertisements, according to researchers and Verizon’s own documentation.
The profiling, part of Verizon’s Precision Market Insights division, kicked off more than two years ago and expanded to cover all Verizon Wireless subscribers as part of the company’s Relevant Mobile Advertising service. It appends a per-device token known as the Unique Identifier Header (UIDH) to each Web request sent through its cellular network from a particular mobile device, allowing Verizon to link a website visitor to its own internal profiles. The service aims to allow client websites to target advertising at specific segments of the consumer market.
While the company started piloting the service two years ago, privacy experts only began warning of the issue this week, arguing that the service is essentially tracking users and that companies paid for a fundamental service that should not be using the data for secondary purposes."
Full Article
Userlevel 7
That is a shady marketing approach by Verizon for sure. They will get you coming and going.
This is nothing different than what one encounters when using a PC or Mac for browsing the web. Facebook and Google both keep incredibly extensive records in order to provide targeted advertising.
This is, however, the first time I have noted it being used in Mobile devices in that particuar manner.
Either way... I do not like it.
This is, however, the first time I have noted it being used in Mobile devices in that particuar manner.
Either way... I do not like it.
Verizon Wireless has been subtly altering the web traffic of its wireless customers for the past two years, inserting a string of about 50 letters, numbers, and characters into data flowing between these customers and the websites they visit.
The company—one the country’s largest wireless carriers, providing cell phone service for about 123 million subscribers—calls this a Unique Identifier Header, or UIDH. It’s a kind of short-term serial number that advertisers can use to identify you on the web, and it’s the lynchpin of the company’s internet advertising program. But critics say that it’s also a reckless misuse of Verizon’s power as an internet service provider—something that could be used as a trump card to obviate established privacy tools such as private browsing sessions or “do not track” features.
Verizon's 'Perma-Cookie' Is a Privacy-Killing Machine | WIRED
p.s. I posted on Friday: https://community.webroot.com/t5/Security-Industry-News/Verizon-Wireless-injects-identifiers-that-link-its-users-to-Web/td-p/163373
Duplicates can happen, though we all try to avoid it. Often they are based on different articles, though maybe not in this case. Either way, no big deal. It has different comments than the previous, so I am not gong to remove it.
I am going to go ahead and move today's post to being a reply to the original posted the other day 🙂
I am going to go ahead and move today's post to being a reply to the original posted the other day 🙂
Verizon is giving a new mission to its controversial hidden identifier that tracks users of mobile devices. Verizon said in a little-noticed announcement that it will soon begin sharing the profiles with AOL's ad network, which in turn monitors users across a large swath of the Internet.
That means AOL's ad network will be able to match millions of Internet users to their real-world details gathered by Verizon, including "your gender, age range and interests." AOL's network is on 40 percent of websites, including on ProPublica.
http://arstechnica.com/security/2015/10/verizons-zombie-cookie-gets-new-life/
Related (Mid May 2015) Why AOL Is Worth $4.4B to Verizon (And It Ain't HuffPo) | WIRED
That means AOL's ad network will be able to match millions of Internet users to their real-world details gathered by Verizon, including "your gender, age range and interests." AOL's network is on 40 percent of websites, including on ProPublica.
http://arstechnica.com/security/2015/10/verizons-zombie-cookie-gets-new-life/
Related (Mid May 2015) Why AOL Is Worth $4.4B to Verizon (And It Ain't HuffPo) | WIRED
Userlevel 7
Talk about greed......Verizon is basically selling not sharing users profiles that advertisers will take advantage of.
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