US mobile carriers face $208M FCC fine for privacy abuses

While making plans to fill US coffers with billions from midband spectrum auctions, the FCC could pile on another $208 million more in the form of fines against the US's four largest mobile carriers over alleged user data violations. The FCC is proposing fines in excess of $208 million against T-Mobile ($91 million), AT&T ($57 million), Verizon ($48 million) and Sprint ($12 million), on allegations that they violated rules that require carriers or those acting on their behalf to "obtain affirmative, express consent from a customer before using, disclosing, or allowing access to this data." The allegations and proposed sanctions are not final Commission actions, as the mobile operators still have a chance to respond and put forth a defense before the issue is put to rest. The FCC is proposing the fines over allegations that the carriers failed to adequately protect consumer location data by disclosing location information without consent and then continuing to sell access to that data "without reasonable safeguards."