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Does your business adequately protect customer data?

Written by Alina Lee

Major U.S. wireless carriers have been penalized nearly $200 million by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for illegally sharing customers’ real-time location data without consent and for failing to put in place adequate safeguards.

The fines range from $12 million to $80 million:
•$12 million for Sprint
•$47 million for Verizon
•$57 million for AT&T
•$80 million for T-Mobile
These penalties resulted from the carriers selling location data to aggregators who then passed it to third parties without proper customer consent.

The carriers were aware of data breaches but did not protect the data properly, violating Section 222 of the Communications Act. FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel and Chief of the FCC Enforcement Bureau Egal emphasized the carriers’ responsibility to safeguard customer data and prevent its misuse by foreign entities and criminals.

The FCC has also created a Privacy and Data Protection Task Force to strengthen rules, enforcement, and public awareness concerning privacy and data protection in the telecom industry. This move signals the FCC’s commitment to upholding privacy standards for consumers in the digital era and serves as a warning to businesses, particularly those dealing with customer data.

Need help making sure your business’ data collection and privacy practices are in compliance with the law? Contact us at Aspire Law

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About The Author Alina Lee

I am a marketing law attorney who helps marketing agencies and companies with marketing departments protect their brands. In my legal career, I’ve worked at two prominent law firms and in-house at two renowned companies. Through my firm, Your Ad Attorney, I provide end-to-end legal counseling for your front-end marketing, online paywalls, and customer service communications. Plus, I provide up front flat rates on a project-by-project basis with clear turnaround times.
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This blog gives general information about marketing law trends and updates. Nothing on this site is meant as legal advice. Each situation differs on a case-by-case basis depending on the facts presented. Providing this information doesn’t create an attorney-client relationship and readers should not act upon this information without seeking legal counsel.