T-Mobile Has Started Selling Your App Data To Advertisers (androidpolice.com) 30
T-Mobile has just officially launched its new ad platform, known as T-Mobile Advertising Solutions. That innocuous name hides a rather sketchy business model -- it aggregates your mobile application usage and sells it to advertisers. Android Police reports: The specifics of the program will sound familiar to anyone who has followed the ebb and flow of browser tracking. T-Mobile uses network-level tools to track the apps that people use on their phones, and it then anonymizes and aggregates that data to lump you into various "personas," or "cohorts" as other platforms would call it. For example, if you regularly use Expensify and airline apps on your phone, T-Mobile could identify you as a business traveler for advertising purposes. This program has been in testing for the past year as "T-Mobile Marketing Solutions," according to The Verge, but it is now live with its new name.
There is some good news (but less of it for Android fans). T-Mobile does not currently collect app data on iOS users, fearing it could run afoul of Apple's privacy rules. But we Android users are fair game, apparently. However, you can opt-out of T-Mobile's program using its official "Magenta Marketing Platform Choices" app. Alternatively, the Digital Advertising Alliance offers an app that lets you opt-out of numerous trackers, including T-Mobile Advertising Solutions, which is listed under its old name of T-Mobile Marketing Solutions.
There is some good news (but less of it for Android fans). T-Mobile does not currently collect app data on iOS users, fearing it could run afoul of Apple's privacy rules. But we Android users are fair game, apparently. However, you can opt-out of T-Mobile's program using its official "Magenta Marketing Platform Choices" app. Alternatively, the Digital Advertising Alliance offers an app that lets you opt-out of numerous trackers, including T-Mobile Advertising Solutions, which is listed under its old name of T-Mobile Marketing Solutions.
Shopping (Score:3)
We're buying and selling your history
How we go about it is no mystery
We check it with the city then change the law
Are you looking forward?
Now you want some more
We're S-H-O-P-P-I-N-G
We're shopping
It's easy when you've got all the information
Inside help, no investigation
No questions in the house
No give and take
There's a big bang in the city
We're all on the make
Pet Shop Boys, 1987.
T-Mobile home internet (Score:4, Funny)
Re: (Score:3)
They'll know which VPN your router connects to.
Re: (Score:2)
At this point I consider a VPN to be part of the basic cost of internet access. Fortunately it's only â5/month for a decent one. The sad part is that people who can't afford that will get exploited, which is why this needs legislating.
Re: (Score:2)
This just shifts the possibility for abuse from your ISP to your VPN provider.
Re: (Score:2)
My VPN provider doesn't know who I am though. All payments made in cash by post. No name, only a randomly generated account number.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Well, that's the point of being neutral + no-logging. Anything goes.
Install an app to set ad preferences (Score:2)
Always-on VPN (Score:2)
Problem solved.
Re: (Score:2)
I don't think that's going to do you any favors. It sounds like this only impacts carrier branded phones that come with a preinstalled app, and/or users of non-carrier phones that opt in by installing some kind of an app. With or without a VPN, that app is still going to be collecting data and transmitting data. The only difference is instead of doing it across the open internet it's tunneling it through the VPN.
You could perhaps use the sort of VPN that has a traffic filtering feature, and those do exist,
A ban on serving two masters. (Score:5, Insightful)
By the same token, I think ISPs and the like should be banned from serving two masters. They can rape our privacy, sell our data, get into the adversising game. Or they can charge us for our connection. But not both.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:1)
If we want anything useful done for ordinary people, you, I, and a few million other people have to camp in DC until the lobbyist money receivers are led away in handcuffs and the media isn't allowed to sell air time and placement to or cover candidates with unequal time. Anything contrary to company owners will be rolled back or sidelined. It was Aaron Swartz's insight that change can't last when it's in the bag for the elite.
Started? (Score:2)
Opting out? (Score:2)
Yeah, I'll believe that opting out protects my privacy - but only after Hell freezes over. When it comes to lies-as-cliches, "We won't sell your data if you opt out" is right up there with "The cheque is in the mail" and "I won't come in your mouth".
Annual data breaches (Score:3)
Instead of having a data breach every year and giving it away for free, they decided to at least make some money off of your data this time.
Not on iOS, but wonder how long... (Score:2)
Interestingly I just ordered an iPhone today (will be changing off Android for unrelated reasons). I was disappointed to find how limited the ad-blocking for browsers is on iOS, but being a T-Mobile customer I guess this is a silver lining to my platform change.
Re: (Score:2)
It's doubtful T-Mobile could collect the information on iOS about people's usage of other apps, even if they wanted to.
Re: (Score:1)
They are using network-level tools, nothing at all to do with the phone or OS it is running. They are just doing DPI to see the content of your network traffic and deducing which apps you are using based on that.
Yes, Android users are fair game (Score:2)
Because of the duopoly, the only options you have unless you want to go all installing your own ROMs are 'ridiculously restricted walled garden with some privacy' (iOS) or Android where you're very obviously the milk cow who doesn't give a shiat about your privacy - because Google sure doesn't when it aligns so well with their business model like this does.
Can I get a cut? (Score:3)
Collect all you want but I want in a cut of the profits.
Re: (Score:1)
Because you're the product, not a person.
I imagine some people would lease ad space on their faces too if it paid rent and put food on the table because that's where society is at in terms of inequality.
Convoluted (Score:3)
T-Mobile uses network-level tools to track the apps that people use on their phones
Why don't they just buy the data straight from Google? It's not like it's not for sale.
Re: (Score:3)
Google collects a lot of data, but it does not share - or sell - that data with any third parties.
Re: (Score:2)
It's worse. Google actually gives it away. It's a convoluted process involving bidding for ad space on a page as it's loading (which happens in tiny fractions of a second).
Re: (Score:2)
Google doesn't sell the data. That would be insane, it's their most valuable asset and selling it would destroy their advertising business.