public company

Verizon

A public telecom company selling mobile, broadband, business connectivity, devices, and network services. Verizon provides essential infrastructure but is low-scoring because telecom customers face recurring lock-in, location-data and privacy enforcement history, pricing opacity, and weak stakeholder control.

Why this matters: Mobile and internet service are basic infrastructure choices; privacy and switching power are central to the comparison.

Letter grade F Malignant Medium confidence (AI) Rubric gcd-rubric-v1 Last reviewed May 11, 2026

Final Score -6* F - Malignant

FMALIGNANT-6 pts

* Tentative scaffolding score. Not human-checked or final.

Base Material11

Bonus+0

Cap35Ownership <= 2 and Governance <= 2

After Cap11

Penalties-17

Private Government badge

Verizon receives the Private Government badge because it combines large-scale private rule-setting over customers, workers, users, members, or counterparties with OpenLobby-documented lobbying of about $1.6M on public policy issues.

Evidence: [9]

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Evaluation Overview

F - Malignant

The score turns mainly on Product Integrity, with the largest penalty coming from Policy Capture.

Strengths

Product Integrity3/5
Ownership1/10
Governance1/10

Penalties

Policy Capture-6
Surveillance Capture-5
Subscription Capture-3
Accountability Opacity-2

Evidence state

ConfidenceMedium confidence (AI)
ThoroughnessDeveloped (AI)
Linked claims9
Direct axis claims8
Coverage8/14

Scoring Axes

Axis	Score	Why this score
Ownership ? Control rights: shareholder-dominated at 0, worker cooperative control at 10.	1 / 10	Verizon is a shareholder-governed public company, so network and pricing power are not controlled by customers, workers, or communities. Verizon is a shareholder-governed public company, so network and pricing power are not controlled by customers, workers, or communities. That keeps Verizon low on Ownership: decisive control remains with shareholders, private owners, executives, or state insiders rather than affected people. The value is above zero only where the linked record still shows some real function, constraint, or public value on this axis. Linked evidence Verizon is a shareholder-governed public company, so network and pricing power are not controlled by customers, workers, or communities. [1]
Governance ? Binding decision authority: centralized control at 0, democratic stakeholder control at 10.	1 / 10	Verizon sells wireless, broadband, device, business, and network services across consumer and enterprise markets. Linked evidence context Verizon sells wireless, broadband, device, business, and network services across consumer and enterprise markets. [2] context Verizon is a shareholder-governed public company, so network and pricing power are not controlled by customers, workers, or communities. [1] context The FCC announced forfeiture orders against Verizon and other major carriers over selling access to customer location information without reasonable safeguards. [3] context Verizon depends on recurring wireless, broadband, device-financing, and bundled-service relationships with material switching friction. [4] context Verizon operates in concentrated telecom markets where plan complexity, device financing, network dependence, and local broadband limits weaken customer bargaining power. [5] context Telecom plan terms, device financing, fees, coverage, privacy choices, and location-data practices are difficult for ordinary customers to evaluate clearly. [6]
Extraction ? Surplus allocation, wage share, CEO pay ratio, margins, and structured extraction judgment.	1 / 10	Verizon sells wireless, broadband, device, business, and network services across consumer and enterprise markets. Verizon sells wireless, broadband, device, business, and network services across consumer and enterprise markets. That keeps Verizon low on Extraction: the business model makes extraction from workers, users, suppliers, customers, or the public central rather than incidental. The value is above zero only where the linked record still shows some real function, constraint, or public value on this axis. Linked evidence context Verizon sells wireless, broadband, device, business, and network services across consumer and enterprise markets. [2] context Verizon is a shareholder-governed public company, so network and pricing power are not controlled by customers, workers, or communities. [1] context The FCC announced forfeiture orders against Verizon and other major carriers over selling access to customer location information without reasonable safeguards. [3] context Verizon depends on recurring wireless, broadband, device-financing, and bundled-service relationships with material switching friction. [4] context Verizon operates in concentrated telecom markets where plan complexity, device financing, network dependence, and local broadband limits weaken customer bargaining power. [5] context Telecom plan terms, device financing, fees, coverage, privacy choices, and location-data practices are difficult for ordinary customers to evaluate clearly. [6]
Labor Sovereignty ? Worker power: coercive conditions at 0, co-determination or ownership at 7. Employee dissatisfaction matters only when source-backed evidence shows concrete limits on worker agency, such as coercive scheduling, retaliation, wage theft, harassment, unsafe conditions, suppression of worker voice, or extreme turnover.	1 / 7	Verizon sells wireless, broadband, device, business, and network services across consumer and enterprise markets. Verizon sells wireless, broadband, device, business, and network services across consumer and enterprise markets. That keeps Verizon low on Labor Sovereignty: labor remains managerially controlled, replaceable, or exposed to coercive employment and contracting conditions. The value is above zero only where the linked record still shows some real function, constraint, or public value on this axis. Linked evidence context Verizon sells wireless, broadband, device, business, and network services across consumer and enterprise markets. [2] context Verizon is a shareholder-governed public company, so network and pricing power are not controlled by customers, workers, or communities. [1] context The FCC announced forfeiture orders against Verizon and other major carriers over selling access to customer location information without reasonable safeguards. [3] context Verizon depends on recurring wireless, broadband, device-financing, and bundled-service relationships with material switching friction. [4] context Verizon operates in concentrated telecom markets where plan complexity, device financing, network dependence, and local broadband limits weaken customer bargaining power. [5] context Telecom plan terms, device financing, fees, coverage, privacy choices, and location-data practices are difficult for ordinary customers to evaluate clearly. [6]
Solidarity with the Unemployed ? Treatment of exits and nonworkers, including severance, redeployment, and non-competes.	1 / 7	Verizon sells wireless, broadband, device, business, and network services across consumer and enterprise markets. Verizon sells wireless, broadband, device, business, and network services across consumer and enterprise markets. That keeps Verizon low on Solidarity with the Unemployed: the model provides little protection for people who leave, are excluded, or cannot bargain from employment. The value is above zero only where the linked record still shows some real function, constraint, or public value on this axis. Linked evidence context Verizon sells wireless, broadband, device, business, and network services across consumer and enterprise markets. [2] context Verizon is a shareholder-governed public company, so network and pricing power are not controlled by customers, workers, or communities. [1] context The FCC announced forfeiture orders against Verizon and other major carriers over selling access to customer location information without reasonable safeguards. [3] context Verizon depends on recurring wireless, broadband, device-financing, and bundled-service relationships with material switching friction. [4] context Verizon operates in concentrated telecom markets where plan complexity, device financing, network dependence, and local broadband limits weaken customer bargaining power. [5] context Telecom plan terms, device financing, fees, coverage, privacy choices, and location-data practices are difficult for ordinary customers to evaluate clearly. [6]
Loss-Bearing Fidelity ? Willingness to absorb costs to preserve values, workers, users, and public obligations.	1 / 7	Verizon sells wireless, broadband, device, business, and network services across consumer and enterprise markets. Verizon sells wireless, broadband, device, business, and network services across consumer and enterprise markets. That keeps Verizon low on Loss-Bearing Fidelity: losses, hazards, or adjustment costs are routinely pushed onto workers, customers, suppliers, communities, or the public. The value is above zero only where the linked record still shows some real function, constraint, or public value on this axis. Linked evidence context Verizon sells wireless, broadband, device, business, and network services across consumer and enterprise markets. [2] context Verizon is a shareholder-governed public company, so network and pricing power are not controlled by customers, workers, or communities. [1] context The FCC announced forfeiture orders against Verizon and other major carriers over selling access to customer location information without reasonable safeguards. [3] context Verizon depends on recurring wireless, broadband, device-financing, and bundled-service relationships with material switching friction. [4] context Verizon operates in concentrated telecom markets where plan complexity, device financing, network dependence, and local broadband limits weaken customer bargaining power. [5] context Telecom plan terms, device financing, fees, coverage, privacy choices, and location-data practices are difficult for ordinary customers to evaluate clearly. [6]
Market Conduct ? Pricing fairness, switching costs, lock-in, and rent extraction.	1 / 5	Verizon operates in concentrated telecom markets where plan complexity, device financing, network dependence, and local broadband limits weaken customer bargaining power. Verizon operates in concentrated telecom markets where plan complexity, device financing, network dependence, and local broadband limits weaken customer bargaining power. That keeps Verizon low on Market Conduct: market power, lock-in, coercive pricing, or exclusionary conduct is a major part of the institution's position. The value is above zero only where the linked record still shows some real function, constraint, or public value on this axis. Linked evidence Verizon operates in concentrated telecom markets where plan complexity, device financing, network dependence, and local broadband limits weaken customer bargaining power. [5]
Product Integrity ? Preservation of quality rather than degradation for monetization.	3 / 5	Verizon sells wireless, broadband, device, business, and network services across consumer and enterprise markets. Verizon sells wireless, broadband, device, business, and network services across consumer and enterprise markets. That places Verizon in the middle of Product Integrity: the product has real use value but is compromised by incentives, monetization, lock-in, quality degradation, or risk. The value stays below the top tier because the linked record does not show full democratic control, non-extractive lock-in, or complete stakeholder protection on this axis. Linked evidence Verizon sells wireless, broadband, device, business, and network services across consumer and enterprise markets. [2]
Scale Integrity ? Whether growth improves or degrades fairness and accountability.	1 / 5	Verizon sells wireless, broadband, device, business, and network services across consumer and enterprise markets. Linked evidence context Verizon sells wireless, broadband, device, business, and network services across consumer and enterprise markets. [2] context Verizon is a shareholder-governed public company, so network and pricing power are not controlled by customers, workers, or communities. [1] context The FCC announced forfeiture orders against Verizon and other major carriers over selling access to customer location information without reasonable safeguards. [3] context Verizon depends on recurring wireless, broadband, device-financing, and bundled-service relationships with material switching friction. [4] context Verizon operates in concentrated telecom markets where plan complexity, device financing, network dependence, and local broadband limits weaken customer bargaining power. [5] context Telecom plan terms, device financing, fees, coverage, privacy choices, and location-data practices are difficult for ordinary customers to evaluate clearly. [6]

Penalties

Penalty	Applied	Why this penalty
Policy Capture ? Private-interest attempts to bend law, regulation, subsidies, taxes, enforcement, trade, labor, safety, competition, environmental, healthcare, housing, surveillance, civil-liberties, or consumer policy against workers, customers, citizens, affected communities, or ecological life. Public-interest advocacy is not penalized merely because it is lobbying. Range: -15 to 0.	-6	OpenLobby records VERIZON SERVICES CORPORATION lobbying on technology and tax with about $1.6M in spending across 32 filings; the reviewed filings document private institutional lobbying over public rules rather than a public-interest advocacy role. OpenLobby records VERIZON SERVICES CORPORATION lobbying on technology and tax with about $1.6M in spending across 32 filings; the reviewed filings document private institutional lobbying over public rules rather than a public-interest advocacy role. That warrants a substantial Policy Capture penalty because private institutional pressure is being applied to public rules while affected people cannot democratically govern that agenda. The value is substantial but not at the floor because the linked record shows serious conduct without the strongest aggravating factors on this axis. Linked evidence OpenLobby records VERIZON SERVICES CORPORATION lobbying on technology and tax with about $1.6M in spending across 32 filings; the reviewed filings document private institutional lobbying over public rules rather than a public-interest advocacy role. [8]
Subscription Capture ? Manipulative recurring-payment, automatic-renewal, cancellation-friction, bundling, trial-conversion, or refund designs that profit from inertia or confusion. Range: -5 to 0.	-3	Verizon depends on recurring wireless, broadband, device-financing, and bundled-service relationships with material switching friction. Verizon depends on recurring wireless, broadband, device-financing, and bundled-service relationships with material switching friction. That warrants a substantial Subscription Capture penalty because recurring-payment design profits from inertia, confusion, bundling, renewal friction, or cancellation difficulty. The value is substantial but not at the floor because the linked record shows serious conduct without the strongest aggravating factors on this axis. Linked evidence Verizon depends on recurring wireless, broadband, device-financing, and bundled-service relationships with material switching friction. [4]
Accountability Opacity ? Material opacity, reputation laundering, or hidden accountability structures that prevent public accountability. Range: -2 to 0.	-2	Telecom plan terms, device financing, fees, coverage, privacy choices, and location-data practices are difficult for ordinary customers to evaluate clearly. Telecom plan terms, device financing, fees, coverage, privacy choices, and location-data practices are difficult for ordinary customers to evaluate clearly. That warrants a severe Accountability Opacity penalty because material facts, risks, conflicts, ownership, or accountability information are obscured from the public. The value is near the floor because the conduct appears central, large-scale, repeated, or institutionally powerful rather than incidental. Linked evidence Telecom plan terms, device financing, fees, coverage, privacy choices, and location-data practices are difficult for ordinary customers to evaluate clearly. [6]
Surveillance Capture ? Invasive surveillance, unreasonably non-optional tracking, facial recognition, biometric identification, or AI behavior scanning of customers, workers, bystanders, or the public. Range: -5 to 0.	-5	The FCC announced forfeiture orders against Verizon and other major carriers over selling access to customer location information without reasonable safeguards. The FCC announced forfeiture orders against Verizon and other major carriers over selling access to customer location information without reasonable safeguards. That warrants a severe Surveillance Capture penalty because customers, workers, users, bystanders, or the public are exposed to invasive tracking, biometrics, or behavior scanning. The value is near the floor because the conduct appears central, large-scale, repeated, or institutionally powerful rather than incidental. Linked evidence The FCC announced forfeiture orders against Verizon and other major carriers over selling access to customer location information without reasonable safeguards. [3]
Ideological Disavowal ? Concealed ideology presented as neutrality, expertise, professional necessity, public-service administration, market inevitability, or non-ideological common sense while exercising power. Range: -3 to 0.	-1	Verizon retains conduct relevant to the Ideological Disavowal penalty: it presents concentrated telecom pricing, location-data handling, and network governance as ordinary service administration rather than contested infrastructure power. Verizon retains conduct relevant to the Ideological Disavowal penalty: it presents concentrated telecom pricing, location-data handling, and network governance as ordinary service administration rather than contested infrastructure power. That warrants a limited Ideological Disavowal penalty because the institution presents situated, contested choices as neutrality, expertise, inevitability, safety, or common sense. The value is limited because the linked record shows a real problem but not one that dominates the profile on this axis. Linked evidence Verizon retains conduct relevant to the Ideological Disavowal penalty: it presents concentrated telecom pricing, location-data handling, and network governance as ordinary service administration rather than contested infrastructure power. [7]

Bonus Credits

No bonus credits applied in this version.

Confidence Basis

Confidence is computed from the evidence trail and review state, not typed into the profile by hand.

Medium 77/100

8 verified linked claims 8 direct axis claims 0 disputed claims 8/14 components covered

This confidence label measures the source-backed evidence trail. AI-scaffolded scores remain tentative until human review.

Claim confidence 17/20

8 verified linked claims

Source quality 16/18

Best source per verified claim, weighted by institutional reliability

Direct axis-specific claims 9/18

8 direct claims across 14 active components

Dispute load 12/12

0 disputed claims on this entity

Recency 10/10

Newest accepted timestamp: May 13, 2026

Reviewer status 7/12

Human-reviewed components score higher than AI scaffolding

Component coverage 6/10

8/14 evidence-bearing components have direct support

Evidence State

Profile stateAI draft / human-pending

VerificationUnverified

ConfidenceMedium confidence (AI)

ThoroughnessDeveloped (AI)

Correction routeUse “Challenge this rating” for factual errors, missing counterevidence, source problems, or calculation mistakes.

Company responseCompany representatives can submit source-backed corrections; payment never changes scores or reviewer authority.

Claims and Sources

Claims are the evidence record. Each claim needs a source link, axis category, status, confidence level, and timestamp before it can support a score.

* Tentative scaffolding score. Not human-checked or final.

1Verizon is a shareholder-governed public company, so network and pricing power are not controlled by customers, workers, or communities.

Ownership Verified High confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 11, 2026

AI scaffold

Verizon annual reportsPrimary institutional record · 90%

2Verizon sells wireless, broadband, device, business, and network services across consumer and enterprise markets.

Product Integrity Verified High confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 11, 2026

AI scaffold

Verizon annual reportsPrimary institutional record · 90%

3The FCC announced forfeiture orders against Verizon and other major carriers over selling access to customer location information without reasonable safeguards.

Surveillance Capture Verified High confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 11, 2026

AI scaffold

FCC carrier location-data finesPrimary public record · 100%

4Verizon depends on recurring wireless, broadband, device-financing, and bundled-service relationships with material switching friction.

Subscription Capture Verified High confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 11, 2026

AI scaffold

Verizon annual reportsPrimary institutional record · 90%

5Verizon operates in concentrated telecom markets where plan complexity, device financing, network dependence, and local broadband limits weaken customer bargaining power.

Market Conduct Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 11, 2026

AI scaffold

Verizon annual reportsPrimary institutional record · 90%

6Telecom plan terms, device financing, fees, coverage, privacy choices, and location-data practices are difficult for ordinary customers to evaluate clearly.

Accountability Opacity Verified High confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 11, 2026

AI scaffold

Verizon Privacy PolicyOfficial self-description · 68%
FCC carrier location-data finesPrimary public record · 100%

7Verizon retains conduct relevant to the Ideological Disavowal penalty: it presents concentrated telecom pricing, location-data handling, and network governance as ordinary service administration rather than contested infrastructure power.

Ideological Disavowal Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 11, 2026

AI scaffold

Verizon annual reportsPrimary institutional record · 90%

8OpenLobby records VERIZON SERVICES CORPORATION lobbying on technology and tax with about $1.6M in spending across 32 filings; the reviewed filings document private institutional lobbying over public rules rather than a public-interest advocacy role.

Policy Capture Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 11, 2026

AI scaffold

OpenLobby — VERIZON SERVICES CORPORATION lobbying profileGeneral web source · 58%

9Verizon receives the Private Government badge because it combines large-scale private rule-setting over customers, workers, users, members, or counterparties with OpenLobby-documented lobbying of about $1.6M on public policy issues.

Private Government Verified Medium confidence AI-generated / human-pending May 11, 2026

AI scaffold

OpenLobby — VERIZON SERVICES CORPORATION lobbying profileGeneral web source · 58%

Alternatives

Competitors

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