Verizon to Cut Off Data Providers That Gave Up Customer Locations

Wireless giant says it will stop sharing data with LocationSmart and Zumigo, and won’t enter new location aggregation pacts unless privacy is protected

Now T-Mobile has agreed to buy Sprint, the U.S. wireless industry is about to be dominated by three major players. But how did we go from the days of one giant landline monopoly to four competitive cell companies? Illustration: Shaumbe Wright/WSJ

Drew FitzGerald and

Sarah Krouse

Updated June 19, 2018 12:52 p.m. ET

Verizon Communications Inc. said Tuesday it will end a location-sharing program after it found at least one company revealed its subscribers’ whereabouts without their consent.

The top U.S. wireless carrier by subscribers said it would soon stop sharing customers’ locations with LocationSmart and Zumigo Inc. in response to questions from Sen. Ron Wyden (D., Ore.), who wrote all four national wireless operators last month asking them about their privacy practices.

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