Verizon's latest move sparks outrage: thousands of Americans explode over this bomb

Verizon is going through a difficult time. In recent months, the company has experienced a significant loss of customers, largely due to price increases in their services. This situation has caused a wave of complaints across the country and has forced the company to seek desperate measures to stop the exodus.

According to Verizon's latest financial report, the company lost a total of 289,000 postpaid phone customers. This happened only during the first quarter of the year. This figure has set off alarms within the company, since these are users who pay a fixed monthly fee and are usually the most valuable to them.

The loss comes shortly after Verizon implemented several price hikes, which upset many users. Especially in a context of high inflation and rising cost of living.

Hans Vestberg, the company's CEO, acknowledged that the rate increases were one of the main factors that led many customers to leave. According to him, the economic pressure that many families and government accounts are feeling also contributed to this negative start to the year for them.

Verizon Starts to Pull the Strings

In this scenario, Verizon has started to move in the halls of power to try to put a stop to the customer drain. On May 19, the company submitted a formal request to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) with a highly controversial petition. It wants to be allowed to stop complying with the so-called Unlocking Rule.

Currently, this regulation requires Verizon to automatically unlock mobile phones purchased by their customers after 60 days. This allows users to use those devices with other companies if they wish. But Verizon wants to change that rule, arguing that early unlocking encourages fraud and illegal phone trafficking.

In its request, the company claims that criminals are taking advantage of the current regulation to resell phones in foreign markets illegally. Verizon keeps that other operators not subject to this rule usually have locks of six months or more. It believes that should be the standard.

According to Verizon, eliminating the Unlocking Rule would not harm consumers, but rather the opposite. The company claims that this would allow it to keep offering discounts, subsidies, and payment plans. This would help make next-generation phones more accessible for everyone, especially for low-income people.

Verizon's Idea Doesn't Convince Everyone

However, thousands of customers are not convinced. Social media and specialized forums have filled with negative comments and complaints toward Verizon. Many consider it unfair that the company chooses measures that make it harder for users to switch providers.

Verizon is trying to get the Trump administration's approval so the FCC will grant this exemption. But the move has caused strong controversy, since many see it as an attempt to limit consumer rights and to strengthen the control that companies have over devices.