Verizon tracks websites you visit and apps you use on their network and uses this information to show you targeted ads, unless you opt out.
Consumer impact (what this means for users)
Verizon can monitor your internet browsing activity and app usage across their network and use this data for targeted advertising — this tracking happens at the network infrastructure level, meaning ad blockers and browser privacy settings cannot prevent it without opting out through your account settings.
What you can do
⚠️ These actions may provide transparency or partial mitigation but may not fully address the underlying issue. Effectiveness varies by jurisdiction and individual circumstances.
Opt Out of Arbitration
Log into your My Verizon account, go to Account Settings, select Privacy Settings, and toggle off both the Custom Experience and Custom Experience Plus programs to stop Verizon from using your network browsing data for advertising.
Cross-platform context
See how other platforms handle Custom Experience Data Use for Advertising and similar clauses.
Verizon's use of network-level browsing and app usage data for advertising is more invasive than typical app-based tracking because it occurs at the carrier level and cannot be blocked by standard browser privacy tools.
View original clause language
Verizon's Custom Experience program uses information about your use of Verizon's products and services — including websites you visit and apps you use on our network — to make your experience more personalized. The Custom Experience Plus program additionally uses this information to show you more relevant advertising.
REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: This provision directly implicates FCC CPNI rules under 47 U.S.C. §222, which require carriers to obtain opt-in consent before using network usage data for marketing purposes. It also engages CCPA/CPRA (Cal. Civ. Code §1798.120) opt-out-of-sale/sharing rights, FTC Act Section 5 on deceptive data practices, and the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA, 18 U.S.C. §2511). The FCC, FTC, and California Privacy Protection Agency share enforcement authority.
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Compliance intelligence locked
Regulatory citations, enforcement risk, and due diligence action items.
Watcher: regulatory citations. Professional: full compliance memo.
Applicable agencies
FTC
The FTC has authority over deceptive and unfair data practices, including undisclosed use of network browsing data for advertising, and has previously acted against Verizon's data subsidiaries.
California's Attorney General and Privacy Protection Agency enforce CCPA/CPRA opt-out-of-sharing rights applicable to Verizon's behavioral advertising data practices.