FCC Fines AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon Almost $200 Million for Illegally Sharing Customer Location Data

[contacos]

And yet Google hasn't been fined a dime for this

Why would they? You accepted the terms and conditions by using Google Services.

I don’t think there would have been a complained if those phone providers offered a opt in.

Glad I am in the EU. I could just demand all the data they have on me and have it deleted

 

[RottenAddict]

The gov wanted a refund for the money they spent on getting peoples location data. Shouldn’t that money go to the people?

 

[surfzen21]

Can we make the fine go to their customers in proportion to the amount made off our data?

I am not sure how this could be structured, BUT fines of this type should be levied against and paid for by the executives, whether that comes from their salary or other compensation as opposed to something that gets passed along to shareholders.

And I realize this gets dicey and tricky in that insurance companies would probably wind up selling additional executive insurance policies that the company would cover. However, an insurance policy would still be cheaper than directly from the company treasury.

 

[Bigkool2inSC]

So what will the FCC actually use the money for after they get it??

That's the real question...

 

[cjamescook]

I wonder if the FCC has the authority to find auto makers for sharing location data, too. That data is generated through the use of various communication systems that the FCC does regulate.

 

[lazyrighteye]

Excellent work FCC! Sticking up for the little people! No... Wait.... profiting off the little people under the guise of sticking up for them? Ewww. I see the system is working exactly as designed.

 

[Hodar1]

Isn't the whole point to "de-incentivize" this practice? How about a fine that means something; speak to them in a language that they understand. The fine is exponentially larger, and the next time they are caught; loss of tax license for 5 years. FCC denies them permission to operate.

Simple, and effective.

 

[roar08]

These fines are nothing. They'll just bump the "Other fees" by $0.50 and call it a cost of doing business. And they'll find some other way to monetize this data. Until execs go to jail, corporations will absorb these fines and/or pass them along to millions of customers all day long. These fines are functionally equivalent to zero consequences.

 

[ryanflanders256]

Absolutely criminal behavior! There should also be jail time for the people in charge of this.

 

[EightyEight]

What does Gurman say about this?

 

[Chuckeee]

I noticed there was no mention of cease & desist orders against those telecom companies. I guess that means they can continue to do this after paying this relatively small “regulatory fee”.

 

[CarAnalogy]

So my data was sold and the government gets paid and I get nothing….

When you're rich and powerful enough, a fine is just a fee.

 

[furbzv1]

price increase all across the board in a few months

 

[TracerAnalog]

Fines? FINES? The responsible managers should go to prison! That’s some BS they pulled off…🤬

 

[Sippincider]

So what will the FCC actually use the money for after they get it??

It'd cover around 2 hours worth of interest on the current US Federal debt. 💸🤢

Unlikely actual customers will see any payments.

 

[ibran]

So my data was sold and the government gets paid and I get nothing….

I can't be bothered to find current numbers, but ChatGPT thinks there are about 320 million subscribers between the three carriers. The fine was $200 million. You really want to fight for your $0.63? You can have mine.

 

[Exponent]

My church (a mainstream Christian denomination, not that it matters) had the county government illegally use location data to track church attendance and learn who went.

When does my church and its members get compensated?

 

[johnediii]

Yeah, they should've bankrupted them all and should do that to any company that does this. Shut them down until they learn. But the government doesn't really want them to learn because they want the data, too.

 

[techfreak23]

They should post all of the executives’ personal info on the web for FREE as punishment and see how they like it… actually, that should be the punishment for any company engaging in practices like this.

 

[Fallforward]

And yet Google hasn't been fined a dime for thisThey use it

They might buy it to augment what they already have and they certainly use it but they don't sell it.

 

[TechnoMonk]

It’s chump change for both, no wonder Verizon and ATT spend millions on Lobbyists. Not as much as Google/Alphabet though.

 

[boombashi]

How about instead of the government collecting fines, force these companies to regulate their outrages rates for data so the money goes back to customers where it belongs. I know, I am dreaming of a fair world.

 

[Chuckeee]

They should post all of the executives’ personal info on the web for FREE as punishment and see how they like it… actually, that should be the punishment for any company engaging in practices like this.

Along the same lines, but making the punishment fit the crime. They should require the executives’ real time location data be posted for free for several years.

 

[Ratlerbite]

And yet Google hasn't been fined a dime for this

Why would they be

 

[HMI]

That’s it?

That might be almost 50¢ per person. Just the cost of doing business to them. They probably made hundreds or more per person until now. They’ll laugh and pay the fine. Never underestimate the greed of them and their shareholders.