# How Verizon Collects and Uses Your Data in Newark, New Jersey
City: Newark | State: New Jersey | Applicable Privacy Law: New Jersey Data Privacy Act
If you live in Newark, New Jersey, Verizon is collecting extensive personal data about you — and your rights to control that data depend heavily on where you live. This guide explains exactly what the company collects from local residents, how that data is shared and monetized, what privacy protections are available to you under New Jersey Data Privacy Act, and the specific steps you can take to protect your privacy.
Data Collection Practices
Verizon collects the following categories of personal data from local users: call and text metadata, location data, browsing history, app usage on Verizon devices, device identifiers, and customer demographic information. This data collection occurs through direct interactions with the company's products and services, through tracking technologies embedded in third-party websites and apps, through device-level data collection, and through data purchases from third-party data brokers. For residents in the area specifically, it may also collect location data that reveals your movements throughout the metro area, your commuting patterns, the businesses you visit, and the neighborhoods where you spend time.
Data Sharing and Third Parties
The company shares data collected from local residents with: Verizon Media (formerly Oath/Yahoo), advertising partners, data analytics companies, and law enforcement. The extent of this data sharing means that your personal information — collected through your use of their products locally — may end up in the hands of dozens or hundreds of companies and organizations that you have never heard of and never consented to receive your data. Data brokers who receive your information from the company may combine it with data from other sources to create comprehensive profiles that include your home address, your estimated income, your political views, your health conditions, and your purchasing habits.
Local Privacy Concerns
Verizon has deployed supercookies to track users across the web without consent, acquired Yahoo and AOL to build an advertising business on customer data, and participates in law enforcement surveillance programs. For residents here, these concerns are compounded by local factors. The area's position as a major metropolitan area means exposure to urban surveillance infrastructure including facial recognition cameras, license plate readers, and public WiFi tracking systems. The combination of the provider's data collection with local surveillance creates a comprehensive picture of daily life here that neither the company nor local authorities could build alone.
Your Privacy Rights in New Jersey
As a resident of New Jersey, you are protected by the New Jersey Data Privacy Act. This law gives you specific rights regarding your personal data, including:
- Right to Know: You can request that the company disclose what personal data it has collected about you.
- Right to Delete: You can request that the company delete the personal data it has collected from you.
- Right to Opt Out: You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal data.
- Right to Non-Discrimination: The company cannot penalize you for exercising your privacy rights.
To exercise these rights, visit the company's privacy settings page or submit a formal request through their privacy portal. They are required to respond to your request within the timeframes specified by New Jersey Data Privacy Act. If this provider fails to comply, you can file a complaint with your state attorney general's office.
Recommended Action Steps
Opt out of Verizon Custom Experience and Business programs, disable supercookie tracking, use a VPN on all Verizon connections, enable encrypted DNS, and review Verizon Privacy Dashboard settings.
Additionally, here are steps you should take:
- Audit your data by requesting a copy of all personal data the company holds about you.
- Review and restrict permissions on all apps from this provider installed on your devices.
- Use privacy tools including a VPN, encrypted DNS, and privacy-focused browser to limit the company's ability to track your online activity.
- Switch to alternatives where possible — replace the service with privacy-respecting alternatives.
- Monitor for data breaches affecting this provider and take immediate action if your data is exposed.
- File complaints with your state attorney general and the FTC if the company violates your privacy rights.
Local Resources and Support
Local residents can access additional privacy support through local digital rights organizations, public library privacy workshops, legal aid societies that handle privacy complaints, and the New Jersey Attorney General's consumer protection division. Many community-based organizations locally offer free privacy consultations and can help you navigate the process of exercising your rights against the provider and other data-collecting companies.
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*This guide is specific to the provider's data practices as they affect residents of Newark, New Jersey. Privacy laws and company practices change frequently — verify current information before taking action.*