Published on: April 30, 2024 11:43 IST
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has imposed fines totaling nearly $200 million on the largest U.S. wireless carriers for illegally sharing customers’ location information. The fines, which were first proposed in February 2020, include $80 million for T-Mobile, $12 million for Sprint (now acquired by T-Mobile), $57 million for AT&T, and nearly $47 million for Verizon Communications.
FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel stated that the largest wireless carriers had sold “real-time location information to data aggregators, allowing this highly sensitive data to wind up in the hands of bail-bond companies, bounty hunters, and other shady actors.” The FCC is finalizing these fines as part of its efforts to protect consumer privacy and ensure the proper handling of sensitive information.