politics
AT&T and Verizon lose Supreme Court case over fines for selling location data
FCC did not violate carriers’ right to jury trial, court says in 8-1 ruling.
TL;DR
- The Supreme Court upheld the FCC's authority to fine AT&T and Verizon $104 million for selling real-time location data without consent.
- The Court ruled 8-1 that the FCC's penalty process does not violate the carriers' Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial.
- AT&T and Verizon argued that the FCC fines were binding, thus denying them a jury trial, but the Supreme Court disagreed.
- The Court stated carriers could have chosen not to pay the fines and then received a jury trial when the government attempted to collect.
- Justice Clarence Thomas dissented, arguing the FCC's process was adjudicatory and that the carriers were penalized for challenging what they believed were binding orders.
- The ruling contrasts with a previous Supreme Court case (*Jarkesy*) involving SEC fines, where administrative penalties were immediately enforceable without a jury.
- The decision is seen as important for the FCC's ability to investigate and enforce regulations protecting consumers.