Summary
- T-Mobile added two new data collection settings enabled by default, including financial data sharing with affiliates and marketing.
- Users can disable settings in the Privacy Center.
- To manage identity and privacy controls, users must navigate to the T-Life app.
Like most carriers and big companies, T-Mobile loves to collect personal data. While that's typically done for targeted ads and other marketing, it still gives many users pause. And now, it looks like T-Mobile has fired up two more collection processes, which are enabled by default.
To find these new settings, open the T-Life app on your T-Mobile phone, navigate to the Manage tab, click the gear icon, and scroll down to find and open the Privacy and Policies section. After you hit "Get Started," a dashboard with various privacy controls will open.
In the privacy dashboard, you'll find two new ones labeled "Fraud and identity theft protection" and "Sharing certain financial information." Both of these new options collect information and use it to keep you safe.
The first one, which is supposed to help with fraud and identity protection, will gather your account information and activity, device info, calling and texting patterns, and interaction with URL links you click on the web to "create indicators of potential fraud." Now, any way a company can help prevent fraud or identity theft is likely a good thing, so this one is probably a personal decision as to whether you want T-Mobile collecting all that information.
As for the second one, it doesn't sound as good. The next option will gather and share specific financial information, which T-Mobile claims will gather data to manage and update options like device financing and postpaid plans. However, it also says if you turn this option off, it'll stop sharing your data with financial companies for joint marketing, non-affiliates and their marketing, or things like your creditworthiness.
I don't know about you, but I don't love either of these options. Even worse, they're turned on by default, meaning most customers instantly share this information. If you'd rather put an end to it or manage your identity protection yourself, you'll have to open the T-Life app and disable both of these controls. Plus, big corporations like T-Mobile aren't immune to data breaches. In fact, T-Mobile suffered a big one in 2021 and another breach in 2023.
The identity protection might be useful, but I'd disable the option that collects data for marketing purposes. For more details, you can check out T-Mobile's overall Privacy Notice, which may help answer any questions.
Source: The Mobile Report
