Federal Communications Commission	FCC 24-40

STATEMENT OF
CHAIRWOMAN JESSICA ROSENWORCEL

Re:	In the Matter of AT&T Inc., Forfeiture Order, File No.:  EB-TCD-18-00027704 (April 17, 2024)

Our smartphones are always with us, and as a result these devices know where we are at any given moment.  This geolocation data is especially sensitive.  It is a reflection of who we are and where we go.  In the wrong hands, it can provide those who wish to do us harm the ability to locate us with pinpoint accuracy.  That is exactly what happened when news reports revealed that the largest wireless carriers in the country were selling our real-time location information to data aggregators, allowing this highly sensitive data to wind up in the hands of bail-bond companies, bounty hunters, and other shady actors.  This ugly practice violates the law—specifically Section 222 of the Communications Act, which protects the privacy of consumer data.  The Commission has long recognized the importance of ensuring that information about who we call and where we go is not for sale.  In fact, these enforcement actions—leading to $200 million in fines—were first proposed by the last Administration.  By following through with this order, we once again make clear that wireless carriers have a duty to keep our geolocation information private and secure.