According to recent reports, Verizon Wireless secretly plays with your wireless internet use by inserting a string of about 50 letters, numbers, and characters into data flowing between your phone and the websites you frequent.

Verizon calls this a Unique Identifier Header, or UIDH. Advertisers use it to identify you on the web. It has become a cornerstone for Verizon’s advertising program for at least two years now. But many say this practice offends notions of privacy, especially for those who do not want their web activities tracked and shared with advertisers. According to some experts, the UIDH acts like a “perma-cookie” because it can be read by any web server that you visit and used to build a profile of your internet habits. This further invades your privacy, say many critics.

We at KLH care about your privacy, and want you to be aware of the widespread practice by at least one of the largest carriers in the world – Verizon. Check with your carrier to see whether this practice exists. You may be able to take steps to stop it, or seek other service providers whose advertising practices don’t intrude on your privacy. Contact us at KLH too if you have any legal questions we may be able to answer on this important privacy concern.