T-Mobile Privacy Policy
Effective: June 29 , 2007
Please click here for Spanish version of the T-Mobile Privacy Policy
T-Mobile USA, Inc. ("T-Mobile") is committed to protecting your privacy. We have updated our Privacy Policy to describe the information that is collected when you use our Web site, our other products or services, or when you otherwise interact with us. In this policy we also tell you how we use, disclose and protect the information that we collect.
We follow the Consumer Code for Wireless Service established by CTIA – The Wireless Association. As such, we strive to help customers understand their bills, receive quality service, and make informed choices. In particular, as part of the Code, we ensure that our information practices under this policy meet the requirements of applicable federal and state laws and regulations.
This policy applies to personally identifiable information, or "personal information," that we collect when you access or use our Web site at
www.t-mobile.com; the services available on our site, such as My T-Mobile; and our voice, data, HotSpot, and other services or product offerings. It also applies to personal information that we collect when you otherwise interact with us, such as when you make a payment, place an order, or request customer service. This policy also applies to personal information that we may receive from our partners and third-party sources.
Personal information under this policy is information that we directly associate with a specific person, such as the person's name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, online or network activities, or information about the person's location.
Our definition of personal information does not include "aggregate" information. This is information that we collect about a group or category of services or people that does not contain any personal information or from which we or our agents remove any personal information.
We collect personal information about you in the normal course of our business when you use our services or otherwise interact with us. Various ways in which we may obtain personal information from you are described below.
- Information you provide. We collect personal information when you sign up for and use our services or when you e-mail, call, or otherwise communicate with us. For example, we collect billing and credit information, including your Social Security Number (SSN), when you sign up for wireless service or a HotSpot account. We also collect personal information when you call or e-mail our customer service representatives, when you pay for service, when you send us a job application or résumé, or when you request warranty service.
- Automatically collected information. We receive certain types of information automatically whenever you use our services. For example, when your Web browser accesses our Web site, we obtain certain types of information, such as your IP address, the type of browser you use, and the page you visited before visiting our site. Similar information is collected when you use Web browsing features on your handset or access the Internet at a Hotspot. Our network also detects other aspects of your service; for example, the general location of your handset (which is how calls and data are routed to you), the type of handset you are using, and call usage information (used for billing), as well as others.
- Information from other sources. We may receive personal information about you from other sources; for example, we receive credit information from third-party sources before initiating your service. We may also purchase certain personal information from others to help us better inform you about T-Mobile products, services and offers that we think will interest you. This policy applies to personal information that we obtain from other sources, as well as to any other information that we add to or combine with personal information otherwise covered by this policy.
We use the personal information we collect for a variety of purposes; for example, to provide services, complete transactions, respond to requests, anticipate and resolve actual and potential problems with our products and services, make internal business decisions, evaluate available offers and make decisions about services offered, protect our rights and property, create products and services, and inform you of T-Mobile products, services, and offers that we believe you will find of interest.
Below are some additional, more specific examples of how we use personal information:
- We may use your billing information to process your orders for products and services, to deliver products and services to you, and to bill you for them.
- We may use your personal information to verify and validate your identity.
- If you submit a job application or résumé to us, we may use the information in the application or résumé to communicate with you and, subject to laws and regulations that govern our consideration of that information, to evaluate your qualifications for employment.
- If you subscribe to our services, we may use your contact information to send you information regarding T-Mobile products, services and offers by telephone, voice mail, postal mail, e-mail, messaging services, or other communication methods. You may opt out of receiving some or all of these marketing communications from us at any time, as outlined in the Choice section of this policy.
We are not in the business of selling or renting personal information. Examples of circumstances under which we may disclose your personal information include:
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With your consent. We may disclose personal information about you to third parties with your consent. We may obtain consent from you in several ways, such as in writing; online, through "click-through" agreements; verbally, through interactive voice response; or when your consent is part of the terms and conditions through which we provide you with a service. Your consent is sometimes implicit. For example, if you purchase a product through our site and ask that it be shipped to your home, you implicitly consent to our disclosure of your name and address to a third-party shipping company to complete delivery, of your credit card number to a credit card processor to authorize the transaction, and to the bank to collect payment.
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To the primary account holder. .If a business, governmental agency, or other individual obtains service for you, that entity (or individual) is our customer, and we may provide any information about you or your use of the service to that business, governmental agency, or individual or to any person at the direction of the primary account holder.
If you receive certain pricing, terms, or other benefits through a business's, governmental agency's, or individual’s agreement with us, such as a discount for service, this policy generally will govern our treatment of personal information about you. You should check with the business, governmental agency, or other individual to find out about their privacy practices in regard to your use of services.
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Transaction processing. We may disclose personal information to third parties who complete transactions or perform services on our behalf(e.g., billing), transactions on your behalf(e.g., verification of your account information at your request to some third party business), or transfers related to your service(e.g., number portability). We restrict the manner in which these third parties may use and disclose personal information about you without your consent.
Our services may also let you take advantage of services and products offered by other companies. Information that those third parties receive about you will be governed by their privacy policies. For example, if you are roaming on the network of another carrier, your wireless telephone number, the numbers you dial, and other information about your usage will be available to that carrier.
Also, when you purchase a product from a merchant while browsing the Web on your wireless device, you may provide personal information to that merchant and some information may automatically be passed to it, such as your source IP address or other device identifier. Whenever third parties have a role in any such transaction, their privacy policies, and not this privacy policy, govern those third parties' collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information. We encourage you to review those third parties' privacy policies.
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Certain business transfers. Personal information may be disclosed as part of a corporate business transaction, such as a merger or acquisition, joint venture, corporate reorganization, financing, or sale of company assets. It may also be disclosed in the event of an insolvency, bankruptcy, or receivership in which personal information could be transferred to third parties as one of the business assets in the transaction.
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Legal process; protection of T-Mobile and others. We may disclose personal information and other account information to comply with the law (e.g., a lawful subpoena, E-9-1-1 information); to enforce or apply any agreements; to initiate, render, bill, and collect for services; to protect our rights or property; in connection with claims, disputes, or litigation; to protect users of our services and other carriers from fraudulent, abusive, or unlawful use of, or subscription to, such services; or if we determine disclosure of personal information or communications is necessary in an emergency situation.
Customer Proprietary Network Information, or "CPNI", is a particular form of personal information that is generated from the telecommunications services we provide to you, CPNI includes, for example, the numbers you call, the date and time of calls, the rate plan that applies to your calls, the number of wireless lines you subscribe to, call location information, and certain other information that appears on your bills.
Your name, address, and wireless telephone number are not CPNI,nor is information about your use of our data services, but are otherwise covered by this policy as personal information. Under federal law, you, as a customer, have a right, and we have a duty, to protect the confidentiality of CPNI. Consistent with this duty, we protect the confidentiality of CPNI, and only disclose it as required or to comply with applicable laws and regulations.
We may use cookies, Web beacons, and similar technologies on our site, in our products and in e-mail messages that we send to you. These technologies identify your computer and record your preferences and other data about your visit to the site or your use of the product. We may link these preferences and other data to personal information about you. If we do, we will treat the combined or linked information as personal information under this policy.
Web sites that you browse on your mobile device or by using our HotSpot service, as well as third parties who serve ads on our Web sites, may use their own cookies, Web beacons, and similar technologies. These third parties' collection, use and disclosure of information with those technologies are subject to their own privacy policies. If these third parties provide us with information that they have collected, and if we combine or link that information with personal information, we will treat the combined or linked information as personal information under this policy.
If you use our wireless services, our network detects your mobile device's location whenever it is turned on. This location capability is what makes the routing of wireless communications possible. Location technology is also the basis for providing enhanced emergency 9-1-1 services. A user’s location information, when derived from providing wireless telecommunications service, is CPNI that we protect as described above.
We may offer commercial, location-based technologies that make use of a user’s location information to provide services that customer or the user requests, or that allow individuals or entities that the customer or user has specifically authorized to access, receive or use location information to know where the user’s wireless device is located.
We disclose location information to governmental entities or other emergency services providers when required or permitted to do so in emergency situations.
You should review the terms and conditions applicable to your use of location-based services for any special rules that apply to your use of these services.
You may choose to limit or opt out of marketing communications from T-Mobile at any time.
- If you are a T-Mobile customer and you manage your account online, you can change your marketing preferences by logging into your My T-Mobile Profile.
- If you are a T-Mobile customer and do not manage your account online, you can opt out of marketing communications by completing our customer opt-out form.
- If you are not a T-Mobile customer and would like to opt out of marketing communications, please complete our non-customer opt-out form.
If you would rather not manage your account online, just dial 611 (from a T-Mobile phone) or call Customer Care at 1(800)937 8997 to modify your marketing communication preferences by following the unsubscribe instructions on any e-mail message we have sent to you.
You may also opt out of receiving future e-mail marketing messages from us by following the opt-out instructions contained within any T-Mobile e-mail marketing message.
You may also opt out of receiving future e-mail marketing messages from us by following the opt-out instructions contained within any T-Mobile e-mail marketing message.
Please be aware that not all advertisements that you receive are necessarily authorized by T-Mobile. When you provide your mobile phone number to others, you may get unwanted calls to your phone. We take steps to reduce the unsolicited advertising that our customers receive, but we cannot block all unsolicited advertisements. Use caution when interacting with third-party Web sites or other services and carefully review the applicable
Privacy Policy before providing personal information to such third parties.
You may access and modify your contact and account information that we have collected by visiting
My T-Mobile and, when prompted, entering your user name or wireless telephone number and your password. You may also visit a T-Mobile retail store or contact our Customer Care department to access, modify, or delete certain categories of personal information that we maintain about you.
The security of personal information is important to us at T-Mobile. We use a variety of physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to protect personal information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure while it is under our control.
An important part of ensuring the security of personal information is your own effort to protect against unauthorized access to your wireless device and the personal information contained in the device and on your SIM card. Most phones and wireless PDA-type devices store calling information both in the phone and on the SIM card. Therefore, before discarding, trading in, or giving away your phone or PDA, be sure you remove and retain your SIM card and follow the manufacturer's instructions for deleting all personal information on the device itself. (This can be found in your owner's manual or on the manufacturers' Web site.)
In addition, use passwords to prevent unauthorized access to your wireless device, your wireless service account, and your voicemail. If you write down your passwords or user names, keep the information in a secure location. Do not give your password to anyone else unless you intend that they have the same full access and ability to make changes to your account that you have. Change your passwords periodically.
We retain personal information for as long as we have a business need for it or as applicable laws or regulations or government orders require us to retain it. We maintain an information retention policy that is designed to comply with applicable laws and regulations. When we dispose of personal information, we use reasonable procedures to erase or render personal information unreadable after disposal.
We understand that parents may purchase our products and services for family use, including for use by minors.If you authorize your child to use our services by providing them a mobile device any information collected from that usage will appear to be that of the customer or primary account holder(the parent) and treated as such under this policy. We did not design or intend for our products or services to collect personal information from children under the age of 13.You remain responsible for all uses associated with your child’s use of our services.
Please be aware that if a child under the age of 13 uses our services to access a third-party Web site, that site's privacy policy (including treatment of information the child provides to that site) will govern. We encourage parents to be involved in the online activities of their children to ensure that no information is collected from a child under the age of 13 without parental permission.
This policy does not modify or alter any applicable agreement you have or may have with T-Mobile. For example, our
Terms of Use govern your use of our Web site. Additionally, if you use our products or use or subscribe to our services, then our T-Mobile
Terms and Conditions, one or more applicable service agreements, and certain other terms may all apply to your use, purchase, or subscription. If this policy conflicts with any portion of those terms and agreements, those terms and agreements govern to the extent of the inconsistency.
We will update this policy if our practices change or if laws or regulations require that we change it. If we decide to disclose personal information in a way that is materially different from that which was stated in this policy at the time the personal information was collected, we will notify you by posting notice of the change on our site's home page and on this page for a reasonable period before we implement that change and will give you an opportunity to opt out of the proposed use of personal information.
We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about this policy or about T-Mobile's privacy practices, please call our customer service representatives at 611 (from a T-Mobile phone) or 1-800-937-8997 (from any phone) or send an e-mail message to
privacy@t-mobile.com. You may also direct your privacy-related comments or questions to the address below:
T-Mobile USA, Inc.
Attn: Principal Privacy Officer
12920 SE 38th Street
Bellevue, Washington 98006