04 Aug New Verizon Rewards Program Collects and Shares Your Data in Advertising Plan
Reports last Wednesday revealed that Verizon’s latest Up rewards program makes it mandatory for members to sign up for a individualized advertising plan.
Once a customer opts in, the company is able to monitor a wide range of voluntary information, including browsing behavior, personal demographics, and mobile phone location. This a step up from its former Smart Rewards program that asked customers to register and provide private information.
Apart from tracking data, the current rewards program also shares data to a group of companies. The information courses through Verizon’s partners and vendors list, and the new Yahoo/AOL hybrid Oath.
The recent rewards program shows Verizon has no intention of cutting back on data collection, which is a concern for customers who refuse to provide private information.
In response, Verizon said the program is voluntary and that customers can always cancel it. They also released a full statement assuring customers have full control over its usage.
Source: Engadget
