Supreme Court Upholds $100 Million FCC Fines on AT&T, Verizon in 8-1 Privacy Ruling
Updated
Updated · PhoneArena · Jun 7
Supreme Court Upholds $100 Million FCC Fines on AT&T, Verizon in 8-1 Privacy Ruling
1 articles · Updated · PhoneArena · Jun 7
Summary
An 8-1 Supreme Court ruling preserved more than $100 million in FCC fines against AT&T and Verizon for selling access to customers’ real-time location data.
Chief Justice John Roberts said the FCC’s process is constitutional because carriers can refuse to pay, forcing the Justice Department to sue within five years and triggering the jury trial the companies sought.
The penalties stem from an FCC probe that found AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon let aggregators and data brokers resell location information, after a Mississippi sheriff used Securus to track phones without a court order.
Justice Clarence Thomas dissented, arguing AT&T and Verizon paid when no carrier had previously received a jury trial in such FCC cases, so they could not have known that option existed.
T-Mobile and Sprint still face about $92 million in related fines, and the court’s reasoning strengthens the FCC’s hand in policing carrier handling of sensitive location data.
Beyond carrier fines, is the Supreme Court now poised to restrict how police and AI systems can use our location data?
If carriers can't sell your location data, how can government agencies still buy it from data brokers without a warrant?
Supreme Court Backs FCC Fines Against AT&T and Verizon in Landmark 8-1 Data Privacy Decision
Overview
On June 4, 2026, the Supreme Court upheld the FCC's authority to fine AT&T and Verizon for misusing customer data, including unconsented sales and mishandling of location information. The Court's 8-1 decision confirmed that the FCC acted within its powers, rejecting the companies' arguments about their rights and payment obligations. This ruling clarifies and strengthens the FCC's role in protecting consumer privacy, sending a strong message to the telecom industry about the importance of responsible data handling and setting a precedent for future regulatory enforcement.