The US Supreme Court ruled 8-1 against AT&T and Verizon in their challenge to FCC fines totaling $104 million for selling customer location data without consent. The Court upheld the FCC's enforcement process, stating it doesn't violate the carriers' Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial. The ruling resolves a circuit split and affirms that carriers must either pay fines and challenge them in appeals courts, or refuse payment and face government collection proceedings that could lead to jury trials.
Background
In 2024, the FCC fined AT&T and Verizon a combined $104 million for selling customers' real-time location data without consent, a practice that was revealed in 2018. The carriers paid the fines but challenged the FCC's enforcement process in court, arguing it violated their Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial.
- Source
- Ars Technica
- Published
- Jun 5, 2026 at 05:25 AM
- Score
- 8.0 / 10