AT&T and Verizon forced to pay millions after Supreme Court ruling

In an 8-1 decision, the Supreme Court has given the FCC the ability to punish carriers without a trial first, and AT&T and Verizon are paying the price. The two carriers have now been slapped with massive fines connected to sharing and selling location data.

It's all about your personal location data

You choose a mobile phone carrier and expect that they will keep your personal data safe and secure. That's not how it played out with Verizon and AT&T.

The FCC has concluded that each carrier sold access to real-time location data to third-party aggregators. These third-party aggregators then resold it down the chain, further compromising location data.

Verizon has been fined $47 million, and AT&T was fined $57 million.

A strong majority ruling in the Supreme Court

The FCC was given the ability to fine carriers by the Supreme Court in an 8-1 decision, with Justice Clarence Thomas the only judge to dissent.

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority, striking down the argument from the carriers that the FCC had violated their Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial. The argument noted that the FCC issued fines through an in-house process.

In the ruling, Roberts stated that carriers can refuse to pay, which would spark the Justice Department to file a lawsuit. A lawsuit would result in a jury trial, meaning the carrier's rights to a jury trial are not taken away.

It's a win for privacy

What makes this such an important case is that it's a win for your privacy and personal data. Under the 1996 Telecommunications Act, the carriers were supposed to protect your information.

Even though this particular ruling focused on Verizon and AT&T, it sends a message to all carriers that the FCC can fine them.

Choose your carrier wisely

For consumers, this is a lesson in choosing your carrier wisely. You need to know that your information will be kept secure and private.

Source: PhoneArena