FCC Chair sends Letters of Inquiry on Consumer Data Privacy Practices
FCC Chairwoman Roseworcel Probes Top Mobile Carriers On Data Privacy Practices The FCC website content management system is messed up this evening, but as far as I can tell AT&T Best Buy Charter Comcast Consumer Cellular C-Spire Google Fi //// I assume the rest of the alphabet will show up when FCC fixes its document web system. The questions are more or less the same, but change the brand names. This is from the letter to AT&T (1) Data retention: a. Please describe in detail the geolocation data that AT&T and Cricket Wireless collect and/or retain regarding current and/or former subscribers. How is that data collected? b. Please explain the reasons geolocation data is retained for both current and former subscribers. c. How long is geolocation data retained for both current and former subscribers. d. Please provide a description of what safeguards AT&T and Cricket Wireless use to protect current and former subscriber geolocation data. e. In what country (or countries) is geolocation data stored? f. Please share whether and how you disclose your data retention policies to subscribers. g. What is your data deletion policy for current or former subscribers, and how do you dispose of subscriber geolocation data? h. Do your subscribers have any opportunity to opt-out of your data retention policies and if not, why not? (2) Data sharing a. Please provide AT&T and Cricket Wireless’s process and policies for sharing subscriber geolocation data with law enforcement? b. Describe the arrangements, agreements, and circumstances in which AT&T and Cricket Wireless share subscriber geolocation data with third parties that are not law enforcement. c. Describe in detail the process by which a subscriber may opt out of the sharing of their geolocation data. Under this opt-out process is that subscriber’s data still shared with third parties? In particular, does the opt-out process allow a subscriber to opt out of the sharing of their geolocation data with all third parties that are not law enforcement? d. Are subscribers notified of the sharing of their geolocation information with third parties that are not law enforcement? And if so, how are they notified?
FCC has fixed its website document management system, and has all the letters of inquiry posted. In the letters of inquiry, Chairwoman Rosenworcel asks about their policies around geolocation data, such as how long geolocation data is retained and why and what the current safeguards are to protect this sensitive information. Additionally, the letters probe carriers about their processes for sharing subscriber geolocation data with law enforcement and other third parties’ data sharing agreements. Finally, the letters ask whether and how consumers are notified when their geolocation information is shared with third parties. https://www.fcc.gov/document/rosenworcel-probes-mobile-carriers-data-privacy... AT&T Services Best Buy Health Charter Communications Comcast Consumer Cellular C-Spire DISH Network Google H2O Wireless Lycamobile Mint Mobile Red Pocket T-Mobile U.S. Cellular Verizon
It would be interesting to see the geolocation data retention and sharing policy, and what granularity of data is retained and for how long, contrasting something that is purely a MVNO on some other facilities based carrier's network, vs a similar SIM card and phone activated directly with one of the facilities based last mile network operators (TMobile-Sprint, ATT, Verizon and the smaller regional players like US Cellular). On Tue, 19 Jul 2022 at 17:04, Sean Donelan <sean@donelan.com> wrote:
FCC has fixed its website document management system, and has all the letters of inquiry posted.
In the letters of inquiry, Chairwoman Rosenworcel asks about their policies around geolocation data, such as how long geolocation data is retained and why and what the current safeguards are to protect this sensitive information. Additionally, the letters probe carriers about their processes for sharing subscriber geolocation data with law enforcement and other third parties’ data sharing agreements. Finally, the letters ask whether and how consumers are notified when their geolocation information is shared with third parties.
https://www.fcc.gov/document/rosenworcel-probes-mobile-carriers-data-privacy...
AT&T Services Best Buy Health Charter Communications Comcast Consumer Cellular C-Spire DISH Network Google H2O Wireless Lycamobile Mint Mobile Red Pocket T-Mobile U.S. Cellular Verizon
Admitly, my hands-on experience with this type of data is 10-years out of date. The industry has changed a lot. Carrier/MVNO data is less relevant now and has more restrictions. Apps, third-party ad brokers and platforms (Apple, Android) are much more detailed sources of this data now. I'm more interested in what Federal Trade Commission and the EU Data Protection Authorities turn up. On Tue, 19 Jul 2022, Eric Kuhnke wrote:
It would be interesting to see the geolocation data retention and sharing policy, and what granularity of data is retained and for how long, contrasting something that is purely a MVNO on some other facilities based carrier's network, vs a similar SIM card and phone activated directly with one of the facilities based last mile network operators (TMobile-Sprint, ATT, Verizon and the smaller regional players like US Cellular).
participants (2)
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Eric Kuhnke -
Sean Donelan