The short answer is maybe (probably, even). There have been plenty of reports that they are selling all sorts of data, possibly at an individual level, possibly at an aggregated level.
In fact, the FTC has asked seven providers to provide details on the data they collect and share on consumers.
They’ve requested the following information:
- categories of informtion (which, by the way, is different than the specific fields)
- purpose for collecting this info
- if the data is shared in a way that may prevent the user to identify the specific person for which this data belongs (though there have been plenty cases where identifying “anonymous” users was fairly easy)
- whether they offer consumers a way to opt-out or edit their data
- and more
They’ve submitted these requests to:
- AT&T
- AT&T Mobility
- Comcast Cable / Xfinity
- Google Fiber
- T-Mobile
- Verizon
- Verizon Wireless
This information may be a precursor to possibly reviewing ISPs and their practices which may lead to legislation.