The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced that it would investigate how mobile carriers use and store user location data.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel disclosed that she has asked the Enforcement Bureau to launch a new investigation into mobile carriers’ compliance with agency rules that require carriers to fully disclose to consumers how they are using and sharing geolocation data.
“Our mobile phones know a lot about us. That means carriers know who we are, who we call, and where we are at any given moment. This information and geolocation data is really sensitive. It’s a record of where we’ve been and who we are. That’s why the FCC is taking steps to ensure this data is protected,” Rosenworcel said in a statement, while disclosing the responses received from the nation’s 15 top mobile carriers following a request for information about their data retention and data privacy policies and practices.
On July 19, Roseworcel had asked the top 15 mobile carriers asking to explain what they do with mobile location they collect from the users. The recipients include the big three carriers AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon; cable companies Comcast and Charter, which resell mobile service; mobile operators Consumer Cellular, C-Spire, Dish, Google, H2O Wireless, Lycamobile, Mint Mobile, Red Pocket, and US Cellular; and Best Buy Health, which operates the medical-focused Lively mobile service.
The carriers were given time until August 3, 2022 to respond.
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Aggrieved consumers can now go on the FCC’s website, and directly file privacy complaints or share concerns about how providers are handling their information. “If you, as a consumer, have concerns or complaints about how your provider is handling your private data, the FCC is making it easier for you to file complaints and make your concerns known—so we can take action under the law,” she said.
The background
The July 19 letter from the FCC asked the mobile carriers to explain how long users’ geolocation data is retained, and why and what the current safeguards are to protect this sensitive information.
Furthermore, Rosenworcel had suggested that an investigation was launched into very processes on these carriers shared subscriber geolocation data with law enforcement agencies as well as data sharing agreements with other third parties. The carriers were also asked to explain whether and how consumers are notified when their geolocation information is shared with third parties.
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This latest FCC probe is in line with the commission’s continuing attempts to protect user privacy. Earlier, in February 2020, it had held the country’s four largest wireless carriers — AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and and T-Mobile — guilty of improperly disclosing some consumer real-time location data, and imposed penalties of more than USD 200 million.
At that time, there was large-scale outrage over reports that aggregators were able to buy user data from wireless carriers and sell “location-based services to a wide variety of companies” and others, including bounty hunters.
The US communications law prohibits telecom carriers from using or sharing private information except under specific circumstances.