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

[Macaholic868]

There will be a class action lawsuit against each carrier soon enough if there isn’t one already.

It helps immensely to already have it on the record that they engaged in this behavior and were fined for it. It might as well be a bullseye at this point.

 

[now i see it]

I think we’ve got to resign to the fact that the motto of big tech is: “Do Evil”

 

[TechnoMonk]

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.

Customer is paying the fine. Corporations just pass it as cost of doing business. Customer may receive Pennies after greedy lawyers sue them with class action suit for million in settlement.

 

[HMI]

The “privacy law” they passed in California caps each personal data offense at something like $1,500 per person. They literally can’t be fined more.

 

[Harry Haller]

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

That’s how organized crime works.
The perps spread the loot around.

 

[Plutonius]

ATT has 71 million customers, that 57 million will be less than a dollar for me..

I'm sure that the government will pass the money from these fines to the customers /S.

 

[ghanwani]

This is shameful. I am going to look into switching to a small, cheaper carrier. I pay $100/mo to AT&T for this.

 

[TechnoMonk]

That’s how organized crime works.
The perps spread the loot around.

House always wins. Shake down or not.

 

[Harry Haller]

House always wins. Shake down or not.

Everybody gets their 30%.
Except you know who.

 

[ChedNasad]

I will never understand why fines are how these things are handled. As a customer of the companies in question I was one of many that effectively was harmed by this. Why does the money not go to me and instead goes God knows where. If an oversight organization in the government gets some chunk of money that is alright but anyone that was affected ought to get something as well. After all it is my data that they profited off of.

 

[mansplains]

Now I know why I get all those political texts, always mark as spam

For real, I got one a half hour ago and receive at least three a week. I understand it's an election year in the States, but come on. Talk about being low-information, being convinced to cast a vote based on a spam text. iOS should be better about spam between the phone and messages apps, android appears to be leaps ahead.

 

[Harry Haller]

I will never understand why fines are how these things are handled. As a customer of the companies in question I was one of many that effectively was harmed by this. Why does the money not go to me and instead goes God knows where. If an oversight organization in the government gets some chunk of money that is alright but anyone that was affected ought to get something as well. After all it is my data that they profited off of.

It's a source of revenue for the government, that's why.

 

[victorvictoria]

And now you know that your telecom provider will do anything for money, even if it breaks the law, and they know it. Guess I'm waiting for the shoe to drop on Cricket Wireless now!

 

[fatTribble]

Nothing unites the forum members better than stories like this. Guess we’re not so different after all. 🤓

 

[Prof.]

So this is why my cellphone bill went up $5 per phone/Apple Watch. Gotta make it up on the backend.

 

[tridley68]

Pocket change for these folks you can bet they will keep on doing this if the juice is worth the squeeze .

 

[v3rlon]

Okay, fine them $200 million.
Freeze their rates. They cannot raise rates, reduce services, or introduce new plans that add to or exceed the cost of existing plans for 5 years. They can add services or speed, but not increase cost to customers.
To help facilitate this, freeze wages of executive staff for the same period.

And next time, it doubles.

 

[picpicmac]

caps each personal data offense at something like $1,500 per person.

I'll take the $1500. Where's my check?

 

[SpotOnT]

And how much profit did the carrier make from selling customer location data?

Unless this fine is more than their profits, it isn’t much of a deterrent.

 

[Someyoungguy]

Ohhh, don't say that! You get a price increase on your service to help finance this fine payment!

It is amazing to me how many people here actually seem to be complaining about this action. Do you not want the government to fine these companies for giving your real-time location to anyone who asks? Do you want bigger fines or are you afraid it will raise your prices? Do we not understand that corporate invasions of privacy are at least as insidious as any supposed threat of governmental invasion?

 

[HMI]

I'll take the $1500. Where's my check?

They don’t pay the customer. They pay the state of California. The customer just gets a middle finger.

 

[MaSx]

Made billions, fined millions, okay, pocket change.

 

[davidg4781]

Ok, all of y’all wanting more fines for these companies… you do realize they just pass that fine along to the consumers, right? They’re not going to be hurting.

I’m not sure how they could get punished. Maybe someone can think of something. Increase in taxes? Even then, shareholders get screwed and they could still pass that cost to consumers.

 

[boswald]

I don’t have enough middle fingers for these companies anymore.

 

[Circa1984]

Where does the fine go - a politician’s vacation fund?