Verizon has received permission from the FCC to keep phones locked for longer periods, effectively ending the 60-day unlocking policy.

Verizon is making it significantly more difficult to switch carriers by locking your iPhone or Android phone for much longer than before.

"The Commission’s rules currently require Verizon to unlock its handsets 60 days after activation. Once unlocked, many handsets are effectively stolen from Verizon and resold on the black market, commanding premium prices on the dark web, particularly in countries like Russia, China, and Cuba," wrote the FCC.

The FCC revises Verizon's phone unlocking rule after significant fraud issues, where criminals sold handsets at a premium on the dark web.

Over 1.5 million Verizon customers had reported outages, according to Downdetector, but by late Wednesday the company said service had been restored.

Verizon is dealing with an outage on its network that's impacting people's ability to make calls. Text messages appear to be fine.

A widespread Verizon outage is disrupting service for customers across Texas and in several other states. "We are aware of an issue impacting wireless voice and data services for some customers," Verizon posted on X Wednesday afternoon.

Many Verizon customers encountered a widespread outage on Wednesday, disrupting calling and other cellular services across the U.S.