The FCC is preparing to fine four major cellular carriers roughly US$200 million for selling location data of customers (via NYT).
Location Data Fine
The fine would be among the largest to date and the first action the FCC would take on this matter. The carriers AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon would have the chance to fight it in court.
The collection and sale of location data is common among tech companies, but telecommunications companies are subject to stricter laws. In January, FCC chairman Ajit Pai said in a letter that “one or more carriers apparently violated federal law” but was unsure what action to take at the time.
Three anonymous sources told the NYT that the FCC hasn’t made its proposal official yet but has the necessary votes to do so. The agency has a public meeting on Friday.
Further Reading
[FCC Unsure Whether to Punish Carriers for Selling Location Data]
[FCC Determines iPhone Radiation Doesn’t Exceed Safety Levels]