Telecom Behemoths Verizon and AT&T are Inserting Unique IDs into Smartphone Network Activity to Track Users Online Browsing and App Usage

It seems that we should be concerned with an interesting and perhaps somewhat concerning new tool used by major wireless carriers, shares Forbes staff member Kashmir Hill. Recently, Verizon and A&T have started implementing and are in the working stages of implementing the usage of short trackable codes into customer network activity in order to track web access to deliver appropriate and more fitting ads, respectively. This brings up a serious security and privacy concern, as privacy expert Jonathan Mayer shares, because this "cookie" cannot be removed and can be accessed by any party intercepting this information.

While sharing this enlightening tidbit of information, this article maintains a high caliber of information presentation with the use of the P-I-C-K model. The exposition of information is made engaging to most types of web users through explanatory and links, clear diagrams, and direct interviews.

By explaining vocabulary in a conversational manner and providing easy-to-comprehend interviews, the text is personalized and easily applicable to one's experience. 

The use of simplified vocabulary allows the information in the article to be more applicable to potential readers - "publicly broadcast" is explained as  something being accessible to the public. In addition as a follow-up to this explanation, the audience is provided with an example of what this could entail and why it might be important to note. The language used here is slightly formal, but not highly technical, making comprehension easier.


Furthermore, to get a perspective from the the companies behind the technology, an interview is provided which uses very short and explanatory language to put across the points. In addition, there is follow up provided to the claims made by companies by security consultant Kenn White who expresses his rebuttals through his own experiences with these codes - by using himself as an example, the text becomes more approachable to other smartphone users and their own concerns about the tracking of their web access.

To make the topic more accesible and interactive, readers are provided a link to check if they are being tracked by their mobile carriers. 
Even with clear explanations, the information about tracking can still seem "far off" and thus lacking a direct affect on the lives of a reader. To combat this potential issue, the article provides a link for users to see if they are being tracked by their mobile carriers.

The data provided by the link, albeit confusing to the average reader, has a short explanation detailing what the relevant information is and what it could mean as well as potential issues with this link - such as using a browser that blocks one from seeing if tracking is happening.


Graphics to explain how mobile carriers may be providing inaccurate information allows for contiguous viewing, but overall contiguity is limited by an awkwardly placed graphic.

For a general coherence between text and graphics, the article placed relevant graphics near relevant text so readers can see what they are reading as they read it - to reinforce information and allow for greater cognition.

The interview text from AT&T states that customers can opt out of tracking, but a disagreement from consultant Kenn White is shown through a image of a tweet wherein Kenn opted out of tracking but found that he was still being tracked - through an aforementioned link. Since the image of the tweet was clearly relevant to the interview responses - it allows for a coherent understanding of what the issues might be with AT&Ts supposed opt-out option, in relation to tracking of web access.




With regards to the "misplaced" graphic, while it provides a simple info graphic style layout of the process used by mobile carriers to track web browsing and transfer this information to advertising ages, it is placed in an inopportune location. Rather than being placed with it's related text, it introduces the subject which provides a potential source of confusion before the reader has even encountered text.


Functional links and the lack of pop-up adds cut down on potential kick-outs which could deter readers from the article.
When links do not work effectively, readers often get frustrated with the text and eventually giving up

This result is similar to that which occurs with several pop-up ads. The article properly employs functional links. In addition, the insertion of adds beyond the left and right boundaries of the text of the article, to the side, prevents them from being a large distraction to a reader, but still allows them to be noticed and easily accessible.