Verizon users might want to start looking for another provider. In an effort to better serve advertisers, Verizon Wireless has been silently modifying its users’ web traffic on its network to inject a cookie-like tracker. This tracker, included in an HTTP header called X-UIDH, is sent to every unencrypted website a Verizon customer visits from a mobile device. It allows third-party advertisers and websites to assemble a deep, permanent profile of visitors’ web browsing habits without their consent.
Verizon apparently created this mechanism to expand their advertising programs, but it has privacy implications far beyond those programs. In fact, it apparently allows others to find out about Verizon users.
Full details may be found in an article by Jacob Hoffman-Andrews in the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s web site at https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2014/11/verizon-x-uidh.
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Categories: Cell Phones
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Privacy Blog 
Using a VPN service is one way to get around this issue as discussed in the linked article. I have used a VPN service past couple of years, mostly at public WiFi locations. But now I also use it on my verizon connections as I am doing now. I just check at top of iPad or iPhone browser to verify VPN is enabled. And I have it set up that if VPN is lost then the app connection is terminated.
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