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Supreme Court sides with FCC in clash with wireless carriers over fines

The Supreme Court ruled 8-1 that the FCC may use its in-house process to levy fines against wireless carriers.
AT&T and Verizon challenged the FCC's in-house process after being fined for selling location data without user consent.
The FCC had imposed nearly $200 million in fines across carriers for failing to safeguard customer data.
Verizon and AT&T paid their fines but appealed, creating a split among regional appellate courts.
The ruling follows a 2024 trend of courts reviewing in-house enforcement powers in federal agencies.
The government argued that FCC assessments are not binding and could be challenged in court.
The case centers on whether a penalty process belongs in court or can stay within agency proceedings.
The FCC fined multiple carriers, including T-Mobile and Sprint, for data handling practices.
The court reaffirmed that initial penalties may be challenged in court with the right to a jury trial.
The decision reflects ongoing scrutiny of agency enforcement powers in high-profile tech and privacy cases.

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