FCC Fines Major U.S. Wireless Carriers for Selling Customer Location Data

[Condobloke]

FCC Fines Major U.S. Wireless Carriers for Selling Customer Location Data – Krebs on Security

""The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today levied fines totaling nearly $200 million against the four major carriers — including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon — for illegally sharing access to customers’ location information without consent.""

read on

 

[KGIII]

totaling nearly $200 million

If the fines are less than the money they made, they're not really all that punitive.

While the judicial system is pretty political, that's just the way it is. They probably (given the history of this sort of thing in this particular judicial system) made a great deal more than they were fined.

Funny how that works, but I don't want to get too far into the weeds...

On a positive note, it's good to see recognition that private data has value. I don't mean value to the companies, I mean value to the people involved. My private data, that is my location, should not be for sale without my consent.

And, yes, I'm directly impacted by this. One of my phone providers is T-Mobile. My other phone provider is US Cellular. They're also probably guilty but not one of the Big 4 in the mobile space.

 

[truckerDave]

They probably (given the history of this sort of thing in this particular judicial system) made a great deal more than they were fined.

Yeah. The fine was less than a slap on the wrist. It was a "Go stand in the corner for 15 seconds!"

 

[KGIII]

Yeah. The fine was less than a slap on the wrist. It was a "Go stand in the corner for 15 seconds!"

Unless otherwise strictly prohibited and punished, there are pretty good odds that they're doing the same thing in other markets. There are some markets where the majority of people use cell phones instead of a computer (typically 'third-world' countries with poor infrastructure) and those countries may not have any protection for the consumer.

If they're just being slapped on the wrist here, who knows what they're doing in other markets and jurisdictions? We can probably guess that they're doing this to those people as well.

 

[truckerDave]

Unless otherwise strictly prohibited and punished, there are pretty good odds that they're doing the same thing in other markets. There are some markets where the majority of people use cell phones instead of a computer (typically 'third-world' countries with poor infrastructure) and those countries may not have any protection for the consumer.

If they're just being slapped on the wrist here, who knows what they're doing in other markets and jurisdictions? We can probably guess that they're doing this to those people as well.

Oh, I have no doubt.

It just really sucks that my business relies on a cell phone. And, unfortunately, I have been on Verizon for many years just because of their coverage. Once I give up on driving for a living, I'll do away with Verizon and possibly cell phones all together.

I just thought of a question. Keep in mind I have no idea how the cellular industry truly works behind the scenes. But I can't help but wonder if the data of people using those smaller companies, like Mint Mobile, was able to be sold as well. After all, those small companies lease the towers off the big 4. Do they just lease a place to hang their own antenna hardware? Or do they use the big companies antenna hardware?

 

[KGIII]

It just really sucks that my business relies on a cell phone.

It shocks people that I leave my house without my phone - on a regular basis.

I was a 'slave to my phone' early on, back in the days of a 'bag phone' (car phone with slightly more mobility). By 1993 I was a slave to my phone, having to be on-call at all times. Even with many employees, I still had to be (by my own assertion) available at all times.

I was big on 'the buck stops here'. So, I had a phone. I'd even use the phone as a cradle MODEM so that I could dial in and get dial-up - though that was short-lived. Eventually, tech advanced to the point where I could just use it like a phone.

At the time, none of the hotels had internet available.

Man, times have changed...

Anyhow, I refuse to be a slave to my phone any longer. I insist on few things, but this is one of those things. I do not care if I'm left wanting and without transportation home. I'll find a solution, but it will not involve me carrying a phone.

Also, I am very unlikely to answer your phone call. Unless I know you AND expect a call, that phone is gonna ring until it goes to voice mail. Voice mail gets deleted pretty much automatically so I hope you call when you're expected and at a time I'm willing to accept calls.

I will no longer be a slave to my phone.

Exception: I use one of those phones as my ISP. I never answer calls on that line. They offered 'unlimited' and I took them up on the offer. I go through 500 to 700 GB per month with that cell connection. They don't appear to mind as I've now done so for years.