Data privacy: Your carrier knows a lot about you. Here’s how to take back control

Having your data tracked in 2025 seems like an inevitability. Regardless of whether you are using a iPhone o android phoneYour carrier is probably collecting all kinds of data about how, where and when you use your phone.

Last year, T-Mobile quietly began rolling out a new tracking method called “profiling and automated decisions.” Spotted by Reddit users and The Mobile reportthe new option is enabled by default. While the company says it is not using the information it collects from such tracking today, it could be used later for “future decisions that produce legal or similar effects for you”.

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But the self-proclaimed “un-carrier” is not alone. All three major US wireless providers collect data; Here’s what they collect and how you can disable it. It is also worth noting that some of this you should want to keep, especially the identity verification.

While we focus on the three main wireless carriers that make up a large portion of the US wireless market, it is likely that smaller providers and even home Internet services are engaged in similar collections. Going to an account profile or privacy page should help you understand what is being collected and how you can adjust it.

We recommend that you check this regularly just to make sure you are aware of any changes the carriers may have made or new collection methods they have added.

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AT&T

As we mentioned above, T-Mobile is not the only one that collects data on how you use its services. You can check your AT&T privacy settings by logging into your account and going to Profile followed by Privacy choices.

The carrier has four main privacy toggles:

• More personalized: This setting “uses data such as web browsing and precise location for personalization” including for offers and ads. This data includes your precise location, web browsing, viewing history, applications and also data that AT&T collects from advertisers such as demographic information, zip code and age ranges. The carrier says this data “does not access or use the content of your texts, emails or calls.”
• Custom: This option “allows the use of your data for automated decision-making” including the use of AI to generate more personalized ads and marketing that are tailored and “relevant to your interests”. It is enabled by default.
• Identity verification: This “allows us to help non-AT&T companies perform identity verification and fraud prevention,” such as a bank to “help protect your accounts from fraud, verify your identity and make sure you authorize certain transactions.” AT&T says it doesn’t allow companies to use this verification “for any purpose other than those services.” This is enabled by default.
• Share or sell my personal information: This allows AT&T to “share limited information to create, deliver and measure advertising about things you might like” including targeted ads. This is enabled by default.

Of the four, you can easily disable all settings, but we recommend that you maintain identity verification for all lines in your account.

There is also an option for “automated messages” that allows the carrier to contact you “by phone or text with important non-marketing information about your AT&T services such as install and repair appointments, billing information and account”. It is enabled by default and I recommend keeping it on as well.

T-Mobile

T-Mobile’s privacy options are a bit more varied. To access the company Privacy Centerlog in to your T-Mobile account and then click My account in the upper right corner, followed by Profile. From there scroll to the bottom and select privacy and notifications and privacy dashboard.

From here you will see the following:

• Data sharing for public and scientific research: T-Mobile says that this option allows to “help support research initiatives for the public good, such as the pandemic response and the development of new technologies”. Created last year, the carrier says that this program is in response to requests from “outside researchers or research institutions.” T-Mobile says this data will be “de-identified as much as possible before being shared” and will not include personal information like your name, although it may share location, demographic and usage data. It also says that the data shared here will not be given to law enforcement.
• Analysis and reporting: This takes data from your device, including app usage information such as how many times it has been opened and zip code, and combines it with “self-reported data such as age range (for example, 25 to 34) and sex, to prepare commercial and marketing reports. “which T-Mobile can then use and share with other companies. The carrier says that these reports do not identify individuals. This is enabled by default.
• Advertising options: This it’s for personalized adswith the carrier collecting details about the apps you download and how long you’ve been using them, combined with other data it collects such as your location and demographics. As with similar options from other providers and sites, turning this off won’t prevent you from seeing ads, but the carrier says you’re “more likely to see ads about things you like” if you keep these options on. This is enabled by default.
• Product development: This allows T-Mobile to use your personal data, including your precise location, the phone numbers you call, the apps and websites you use, and also to help advertisers “make the ads that you they show better.”
• Profiling and automated decisions: This is T-Mobile’s apparently last privacy option that we mentioned above, and while the carrier says it’s not doing anything about it today, it appears to be giving itself the option to do so going forward. On its site, it describes this as taking the personal data it collects about you “to evaluate, analyze, or predict certain personal aspects about your performance at work, economic situation, health, personal preferences, interests, reliability , behavior, location, or movements” is enabled by default.
• Do not sell or share my personal information: This allows you to tell T-Mobile not to sell or share the data it has about you with other companies. U company notes on their site which may also share “some personal information with our service providers so that you can, for example, receive products and services from us.” In an annoying extra step, the carrier notes on its website that you can limit what third-party advertising data it shares with T-Mobile through its Magenta advertising platform, but for opt out that you need to download a separate app.

Of these options, I recommend disabling them all.

In addition to the dashboard, the T-Mobile Privacy Center website details something called “phone privacy”. T-Mobile says it uses the information collected from there to “identify offers for T-Mobile calling plans, protect against fraud and respond to emergencies” but that in this policy it is not collecting “the your name, address, phone number or content of your phone calls.” It also says that it is not sharing this data with other companies so that it could “help them market their things”.

Verizon

Like T-Mobile, Verizon has a bunch of different options when it comes to privacy. This can be found logged in, by clicking on account then overview of the account. From there, select it edit profile and settings and choose manage privacy settings.

From here you will see the following:

• Customer Proprietary Network Information: This allows Verizon to use the information it has about you to sell you other services beyond what you have already paid for. This is enabled by default.
• Business and Marketing Insights: This takes information about location, web browsing, “app usage/features” and even your demographics and then combines information that Verizon receives from other companies to help Verizon create “insights” such as and if many people travel often to a particular place. a particular time. The carrier says that this information is collected “in aggregate” so that it can help and “others better understand the actions of the consumer.” This is enabled by default.
• Personalized experience: This takes information about “websites you visit and apps you use” to “help us better understand your interests”, such as whether you like sports or games. Verizon says it does not share or sell this information with others. It is enabled by default.
• Personalized Experience Plus: This combines information gathered from the CPNI and Custom Experience sections so that Verizon can “personalize” its marketing and recommendations for you, as well as “develop plans, services and offers” that will be “more attractive to you.” This is an opt-in and the carrier says that it does not sell this data to other companies for their own respective advertising, although the options here will automatically activate the Business and marketing insights.
• Identity verification: It shares “certain account, device, and profile data” with third parties to help “verify your identity and help protect you against identity theft and account takeover.” This is enabled by default.

There is also a Personalized experience tab that allows you to reset your Personalized experience and Personalized Experience Plus Options, and in doing so, Verizon will “stop using the web browsing and location data” it previously collected as part of the program.

Of all the Verizon options, I would recommend turning off all but Identity Verification. That should stay.