Verizon’s answer to location woes? Stickers!

Apple’s carefully-worded Q&A on Location Data published in response to the location tracking PR fiasco has fell on deaf ears with US Congressmen and Senators. Representatives from both Apple and Google will testify at a Congressional hearing on May 10 to explain how they gather and use location data from users.

Meanwhile, carriers – who are required by law to track users – are taking notice of a new wind blowing through Senate on location privacy issues and are taking preemptive actions. So, what does Verizon Wireless – the nation’s greatest wireless operator that holds onto your location data and other info for seven years – plan to do?

Stickers, man! You read that right, the big red carrier plans to put location-tracking stickers on phones, like the one you see above provided as an illustration in Verizon’s letter to Senators Ed Markey and Joe Barton. It reads:

    This device is capable of determining its (and your) physical, geographical location and can associate this location data with other customer information. To limit access to location information by others, refer to the User Guide for Location settings and be cautious when downloading, accessing or using location applications and services.

Something tells me this will be the first thing people remove when they get a new phone. Feel free to file this one under the “oh no, they didn’t” category.