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.

As of 10 a.m., Verizon is reporting small outages in Yosemite and Vidal, way in the desert in San Bernardino County, but no other outages.

The Federal Communications Commission is letting Verizon lock phones to its network for longer periods, eliminating a requirement to unlock handsets 60 days after they are activated on its network. The change will make it harder for people to switch from Verizon to other carriers.

Verizon customers are seeing a widespread service outage that has taken down cell service across huge parts of the

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