How To: Prevent AT&T from Selling Your Behavior to Advertisers

How much privacy are you getting as an AT&T customer? With the recent leaks confirming the National Security Agency's surveillance on AT&T users, and the ongoing trial of Jewel v. NSA, it seems not much at all.

Now you have another thing to worry about—and it's worse.

AT&T's Now Selling Aggregated Non-Personal Data

AT&T sent out an email to customers on July 9th because of their revised Privacy Policy, which also includes two new programs they claim will help them and other businesses serve you better.

Program 1: "External Marketing & Analytics Reports"

This program provides anonymous data on your current location, website browsing information, mobile app usage, and U-verse data, to businesses in group format to help them serve their customers better.

Though everyone is anonymous and the data is provided in aggregate format to third-parties, it still might be a little creepy to you that someone is tracking your location and mobile usage—and you can stop it.

How to Opt-Out of External Marketing

If you would like to stop your anonymous information from being collected by AT&T and being sold to advertisers, simply visit the webpage or call the number listed below.

• att.com/cmpchoice
• 1.866.344.9850

You will need to have you account information readily available to opt out.

Program 2: Relevant Advertising Including "Wireless Location Characteristics"

This second program is for behavioral ad-targeting, which tracks your mobile and online habits to help deliver more relevant ads to you. It's not only based on characteristics such as your age, gender, and interests, but your current GPS coordinates, too.

If you were previously a Verizon Wireless customer, this probably comes as no surprise, since they've been selling data for almost a year now. However, AT&T previously only collected data on you internally using your CPNI to offer you new AT&T products and services.

How to Opt-Out of Behavioral Ad-Targeting

If you would like to prevent AT&T from collecting data on you for the purpose of delivering more relevant, personalized ads to you, visit one of the webpages below on EACH OF YOUR DEVICES. Also, if you delete your cookies, you may have to opt-out again.

Opting Out on a Computer

No sign-in is needed for these options.

• adworks.att.com/adpreferences
• Or click here to opt out of all AT&T AdWorks Relevant Advertising

Opting Out on Mobile Devices

You must be connected to your AT&T network to opt out.

• adworks.att.com/mobileoptout

Please note that this will not stop ads from being delivered. You will still get them, they just won't be analyzing your personal information to make them relevant to you specifically. Also, this does not apply to ads delivered by non-AT&T publishers and ad networks.

More Information

For more information on these two new programs, check out AT&T's revised Privacy Policy. If you want to submit feedback about this revised policy, you can email them within the next 30 days at privacyfeedback@att.com.