this post was submitted on 29 Apr 2024
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The carriers sold "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," FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement.

"Smartphones are always with us, and as a result these devices know where we are at any given moment," Rosenworcel said. Citing the sensitivity of geolocation data, she added, "In the wrong hands, it can provide those who wish to do us harm the ability to locate us with pinpoint accuracy."

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top 23 comments
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[–] cmnybo@discuss.tchncs.de 97 points 6 months ago (3 children)

OK, now give them a fine that will actually hurt.

[–] PM_Your_Nudes_Please@lemmy.world 37 points 6 months ago

And jail the people responsible. And not just some middle-management corporate patsy. Investigate that shit starting at the top of the flagpole.

[–] spaghettiwestern@sh.itjust.works 12 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Where do you think you are? The E.U.?

[–] NegativeLookBehind@lemmy.world 6 points 6 months ago

Lol at this guy thinking his rights matter

[–] RagingSnarkasm@lemmy.world 7 points 6 months ago

Come on now, that’s going to completely wipe out the loose change from their couches.

[–] Ranvier@lemmy.world 67 points 6 months ago

Republicans of course voted against any fines at all:

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/04/fcc-fines-big-three-carriers-196m-for-selling-users-real-time-location-data/

Now with a 3-2 democratic majority on fcc a lot is getting done. One of Biden's nominees was stonewalled by the senate for years (ISPs launched a huge smear campaign against her, even the daily mail of all things went after her). Biden had to relent and finally nominated someone else who got approved late 2023, finally breaking the 2-2 deadlock that Republicans were using to block everything like this including net neutrality.

[–] empireOfLove2@lemmy.dbzer0.com 59 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

Yeah this is a blip on the balance sheet, nothing more

[–] Toes@ani.social 33 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

That fine is a zero short, should see a reimbursement to each affected customer on the scale of 10k/person.

[–] qwertyqwertyqwerty@lemmy.one 22 points 6 months ago (1 children)

The government just tryna get it's money back from buying the data from them first.

[–] DancingBear@midwest.social 5 points 6 months ago

lol this is the first thought that crossed my mind

[–] Badeendje@lemmy.world 9 points 6 months ago

I was in the miraikan museum in Tokyo once where they had a whole exposition on tracking masses in order to optimize traffic flow (pedestrian, car and public transit). A big part of the 3xpo was the privacy first approach. They u derstood that in order to get I to the real traffic patterns they would have to record vast amounts of sensitive data and went through great lengths to protect privacy.

I wish this was more common.

[–] shortwavesurfer@monero.town 6 points 6 months ago (1 children)

That software is really handy, but that name is really awful. Every time I hear it, I think of neutering.

[–] rdyoung@lemmy.world 12 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I think that's the point and the inspiration for the name.

[–] shortwavesurfer@monero.town 2 points 6 months ago (3 children)

I swear, in general, open source software is absolutely fantastic. But open source developers have no concept of naming things in general and or user design in general. They make great software, but choose absolutely horrid names and or user interfaces.

[–] NOT_RICK@lemmy.world 9 points 6 months ago

I think it’s funny. They’re neutering the ads and tracking

[–] halcyoncmdr@lemmy.world 5 points 6 months ago (1 children)

They only changed a letter, and are essentially just shortening Not.

Nitter = Not Twitter Neuters = Not Reuters

[–] shortwavesurfer@monero.town 0 points 6 months ago

I know what it means. It's still a terrible name.

[–] SaltySalamander@fedia.io 2 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

choose absolutely horrid names and or user interfaces

Get a free tool.

Bitch incessantly about said free tool.

News flash, the tool wasn't made for you.

[–] shortwavesurfer@monero.town -1 points 6 months ago

This was literally my first time ever using it. As I said, it's a great tool. I'm not criticizing the work at all.

[–] urist@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Nueters

Oh no

how do you pronounce this? Noiters? Nooters?

Edit: it’s very nice, neat idea

[–] JCreazy@midwest.social 2 points 6 months ago

Great job FCC. You did nothing. Congratulations. They are just going to do it again.