National wireless carriers are facing hefty fines for sharing user data without consent.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has issued millions of dollars in fines to wireless carriers, including T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint, for illegally sharing geolocation histories without user consent to third-party data resellers.
These fines follow allegations in 2020 that these companies had been improperly managing personal data, with the FCC finding that “no valid customer consent was obtained.”
Among the carriers, T-Mobile faces the largest fine of $80 million, while its merged entity, Sprint, has been fined $12 million. AT&T has been ordered to pay $57 million, and Verizon faces a fine of $47 million.
It is anticipated that wireless carriers will appeal the FCC’s decision.
BY HOONSIK WOO [woo.hoonsik@koreadaily.com]
