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FCC fines big three carriers $196M for selling users' real-time location data

FCC finalizes $196M penalties for location-data sales revealed in 2018.

The problem first came to light with reports of customer location data "being disclosed by the largest American wireless carriers without customer consent or other legal authorization to a Missouri Sheriff through a 'location-finding service' operated by Securus, a provider of communications services to correctional facilities, to track the location of numerous individuals," the FCC said. Advertisement Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said that news reports in 2018 "revealed that the largest wireless carriers in the country were selling our 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. "We take our responsibility to keep customer data secure very seriously and have always supported the FCC's commitment to protecting consumers, but this decision is wrong, and the fine is excessive.

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