DEE'S COMPUTER

Have you ever wondered what the metaphor free…! Means today? Especially in the current information age and endless means of communications. Someone is financing this well-known figure of speech, and the stark reality is it is us. Most of the "free" services you can get online are financed in some way with your personal information. That usually means the site is using the information it learns about you, to target you with ads, or sell your information to other advertisers.

The major cellphone carriers are more than happy to sell your information to advertisers and serve you targeted ads over their networks. Verizon and AT&T even experimented with "super-cookies" that let any website know who you are when you visit.

AT&T initially offered $30.00 fee to not track the customer data. Eventually backing down altogether, saying it concluded the “super-cookie test”. Since the super-cookie tracks you across all websites, regardless of whether you disable all other cookies, the only way to get rid of it is to opt-out of the tracking program. Depending on which method you choose below, be on the lookout for the phrase, Relevant Mobile Advertising program. That's Verizon's name for the super-cookie tracker.

Verizon in a similar fashion, after much consumer heat and the aid of the Electric Frontier Foundation, they backed down giving its customers a choice about whether they want their privacy sold to Verizon's advertisers. Score one for consumers. You can now opt-out of the Verizon super-cookie. There are three ways that Verizon customers can opt-out of the tracking super cookie. The first way is to visit this page on Verizon's site, but you must be logged in to access it

You can also get to this opt-out page through the My Verizon app. Again, you must be logged in to access it. The last option is to call Verizon at 1-866-211-0874 and request to opt-out of the Relevant Mobile Advertising program.