What Verizon does with your data
Cars, carriers, apps and travel. People use it through a rewards program, app, or connected service.
Data current as of 2026-09-25; statuses change.
- Program or app
- Verizon Wireless, Custom Experience programs
- Members
- 147 million subscribers (2026). Total wireless retail connections as of 2026-06-30 (connections, not people).
- Retail media
- None found in the research
What it collects and does with your data
- FCC found Verizon sold access to customer location data to aggregators that resold it.
- Verizon policy: Custom Experience uses sites visited and apps used on your mobile device; customers are included unless they opt out.
Sensitive data
- precise location (historical sale)
- web and app usage (Custom Experience)
- call and text records (CPNI) in Custom Experience Plus
Enforcement and litigation
1 matter in the research. Where the research says alleged, pending, or settled without admitting wrongdoing, so does this page.
- FCC forfeiture about $47 million; Second Circuit upheld; Supreme Court affirmed 8-1 on 2026-06-04 (FCC v. AT&T, consolidated with No. 25-567). Status: final. Amount: $46.9 million.
Who else holds your data
Organizations holding a copy of your data, as the research counts them: at least 4. Verizon, aggregator, reseller, end buyer during the pre-2019 location program.
Third parties: Not counted.
Data brokers linked to Verizon
None. The research documents no flow between Verizon and a data broker.
Data practices score
8 of 15. Five components, each 0 to 3. How the score works
- Sells or shares
- 3
- Enforcement
- 3
- Retail media scale
- 0
- Sensitive data
- 1
- Opt-out friction
- 1
Estimated emissions for one person
Research gaps
- Verizon ad revenue.
- Enrollment counts in Custom Experience.
Sources (4)
- https://www.verizon.com/about/sites/default/files/Verizon_Fact_Sheet.pdf
- https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-fines-largest-wireless-carriers-sharing-location-data 2024-04-29
- https://www.verizon.com/about/privacy/full-privacy-policy 2026-09-25 (accessed)
- https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/25-406_nmip.pdf 2026-06-04
The Sources page lists these with their kind and what else uses them.