According to an article in the LA Times, Verizon Wireless will be “enhancing” its Relevant Mobile Advertising by monitoring customer activity on wireless devices as well as wired or Wi-Fi connected computers and laptops.
“In addition to the customer information that’s currently part of the program, we will soon use an anonymous, unique identifier we create when you register on our websites,” said Verizon Wireless in a message to customers. “This identifier may allow an advertiser to use information they have about your visits to websites from your desktop computer to deliver marketing messages to mobile devices on our network.”
Cookie’s will be installed onto users’ computers – laptops and desktops — which will give Verizon access to their customers’ data even after leaving their web service, “My Verizon.” As such, the cookie will provide the company with data on the spending and online activities of their customers. Through this collected data on the customers’ mobile and desktop devices, Verizon will pass this information onto marketers for targeted advertising.
Although Verizon claim that the data collected is completely anonymous, attention has been called to the fact that Verizon will not warn their customers when the cookie is downloaded onto their computers. Verizon claims that this new service will not harm the privacy of their customers, and may in fact help their users by only receiving adverts that are most relevant to them.
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(Image Credit: Robert Scoble)
