Editing Verizon

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{{InfoboxCompany
| Name = Verizon
| Type =Public
| Founded =1983
| Industry =Telecommuncations
| Official Website =https://verizon.com/
| Logo =Verizon 2024.svg.png
}}'''[[wikipedia:Verizon|Verizon Communications, Inc.]]''' is a major American telecommunications company headquartered in New York, New York. Verizon is the [[wikipedia:List_of_telecommunications_companies#World's_largest_telecom_companies_by_total_revenue|second-largest telecommunications company in the world]] by revenue and has the [[wikipedia:List_of_United_States_wireless_communications_service_providers|largest wireless network in the United States]] with 146 million subscribers as of December 31, 2024.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=31 Dec 2024 |title=Financial and Operating Information |url=https://www.verizon.com/about/file/74377/download?token=aFR5AvZZ |url-status=live |access-date=28 May 2025}}</ref>

In 2017, the Electronic Frontier Foundation awarded Verizon with a 1 out of 5 stars privacy rating, the same as Verizon's largest competitors, AT&T and T-Mobile.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reitman |first=Rainey |date=10 Jul 2017 |title=Who Has Your Back? Government Data Requests 2017 |url=https://www.eff.org/who-has-your-back-2017 |url-status=live |access-date=28 May 2025 |website=EFF}}</ref>

==Incidents==

===Supercookie insertion (2012-2015)===
Verizon Wireless was caught inserting customer- or device-unique cookies into HTTP requests starting in 2012<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shahani |first=Aarti |date=8 Mar 2016 |title=Verizon Settles With FCC Over 'Supercookies' Allegations |url=https://www.npr.org/2016/03/08/469606418/verizon-settles-with-fcc-over-supercookies-allegations |url-status=live |access-date=28 May 2025 |website=www.npr.org}}</ref>

=== '''Verizon App Manager (2019-Present)''' ===
At least as far back as December of 2019, many Android devices purchased through Verizon Wireless have come with Verizon App Manager preinstalled. The software is most present on Samsung devices purchased through Verizon. Verizon App Manager is a program that downloads apps onto the device without the user's permission, often doing so while the phone is being used without warning. These apps are often low-quality free mobile games that themselves contain ads, however some more prominent apps downloaded include Disney+, Yahoo Mail, and Yelp.<ref>{{Cite web |last=pkim168 |date=19 Feb 2020 |title=Verizon App Manager installing apps without permission |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/GalaxyS9/comments/f65q87/verizon_app_manager_installing_apps_without/?utm_source=chatgpt.com |url-status=live |access-date=17 Oct 2025 |website=Reddit}}</ref> 

There is a way to temporarily disable Verizon App Manager; if the user goes to the device's Settings -> Apps -> Verizon App Manager -> Disable, it will indeed be deactivated, however it is automatically re-enabled every time the device is updated. If the user wishes to uninstall the apps downloaded by Verizon App Manager, they must do so manually, and individually. Some apps downloaded run in the background, reducing battery life and increasing RAM usage. Unlocked phones purchased from third-party sellers and subsequently put on a Verizon Wireless mobile plan do not have this issue.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gilbert |first=Jon |last2=Joy |first2=Anu |date=16 May 2024 |title=Why does Verizon App Manager auto-install unwanted apps? |url=https://www.androidpolice.com/what-is-verizon-app-manager-why-does-it-keep-installing-apps/ |access-date=17 Oct 2025 |website=Android Police}}</ref>

===Selling Consumer Data (2024)===
FCC found that all major telecommunications companies were illegally selling customer's location data. FCC fined AT&T $57 million, Sprint $12 million, T-Mobile $80 million, and Verizon $46 million amounting to nearly $200 million.<ref>{{Cite web |date=29 Apr 2024 |title=FCC FINES AT&T, SPRINT, T-MOBILE, AND VERIZON NEARLY $200 MILLION FOR ILLEGALLY SHARING ACCESS TO CUSTOMERS’ LOCATION DATA |url=https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-402213A1.pdf |url-status=live |access-date=28 May 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Shepardson |first=David |date=29 Apr 2024 |title=FCC fines US wireless carriers over illegal location data sharing |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/fcc-fines-us-wireless-carriers-nearly-200-million-over-illegal-location-data-2024-04-29/ |url-status=live |access-date=28 May 2025 |website=Reuters}}</ref>


This fine towards Verizon amounted to about 0.25% of their annual net income.<ref name=":0" />
===Deceptive Advertising of 5G (2020)===
In March 2019 the Better Business Bureau cited that Verizon was falsely conveying that the 5G technology was currently available to customers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Davis |first=Wendy |date=21 Mar 2019 |title=Verizon Told To Revise 'First To 5G' Ads |url=https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/333538/verizon-told-to-revise-first-to-5g-ads.html |url-status=live |access-date=28 May 2025 |website=MediaPost}}</ref> In May 2020 the Better Business Bureau criticized Verizon for claiming it was "building the most powerful 5G experience for America" and recommended that the company disclose the actual availability of its 5G network to its customers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Horwitz |first=Jeremy |date=14 May 2020 |title=BBB blasts Verizon for 5G ads, says coverage claims mislead customers |url=https://venturebeat.com/mobile/bbb-blasts-verizon-for-5g-ads-says-coverage-claims-mislead-customers/ |url-status=live |access-date=28 May 2025 |website=VentureBeat}}</ref>

===Lobbying The FCC to Waive Device Unlocking Requirements (2025)===
On May 19th, 2025 Verizon submitted a request to have the Federal Trade Commission to remove the current unlocking requirements for consumers who have purchased a device through a telecommunications provider. This requirement is a consumer protection for the device they purchased as after a device has been paid in full and has been active for at least 60 days on the network, the telecommunications provider must allow the device to be unlocked and that device is now free to connect to other carrier networks.<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 May 2025 |title=Verizon makes bold move to make it harder for customers to leave |url=https://www.thestreet.com/retail/verizon-makes-bold-move-to-make-it-harder-for-customers-to-leave |url-status=live |access-date=28 May 2025 |website=The Street}}</ref>

==References==
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===Video References:===

#[https://youtube.com/watch?v=mdZt7ox1DDs No Escape: EVERY US Carrier Sold Your Location Data with 0.02% Penalties from the FCC!]

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