If you’re a Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile customer, you might be surprised by how much information you agree to share with your provider the moment you sign up. Some of this is expected, such as your Social Security number, home address, and payment details. Beyond that, carriers also enable settings that allow them to collect data from your web browsing, location, and more. While they do not directly access this information themselves, it is used to build advertising profiles and personalize your experience.
It is also not just for internal use. The big three carriers share, and in some cases sell, personal information to other companies for targeted ads or credit checks. When you consider the steady stream of high-profile security breaches carriers have faced in recent years, it is understandable if the idea of handing over even more data makes you uneasy.