Sections
Log in
Top News
U.S. News World News Featured Voices
Odd News
Entertainment
Movies Music TV
Sports
Soccer NFL NBA MLB NHL Golf Horse Racing Tennis Col. Football Col. Basketball
Photos
News Entertainment Sports Features Archives
More...
Defense Featured Science Health Archive Almanac
About Feedback
About Feedback
Search
U.S. News
June 19, 2018 / 4:48 PM

AT&T, Verizon to halt third-party data sales after investigation

By
Sommer Brokaw
AT&T is one of two wireless carriers that pledged on Tuesday to suspend sales of customer location data. File Photo by Roger L. Wollenberg/UPI | License Photo

June 19 (UPI) -- Verizon and AT&T said Tuesday they will suspend sharing customer's data with third-party companies after an investigation found inappropriate use.

The probe launched by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., found correctional officers were potentially able to use Verizon's real-time location data and spy on customers through a prison phone company called Securus.

Wyden wrote a letter to the Federal Communications Commission last month outlining his concerns about Securus' "unrestricted access" to customer location data.

Wyden said Securus provides the location data through "a self-service web portal, to the government for nothing more than the legal equivalent of a pinky promise. This practice skirts wireless carrier's legal obligation to be the sole conduit by which the government conducts surveillance of Americans' phone."

RELATED Verizon picks 5G wireless expert Vestberg as new CEO

Correctional officers can visit the portal by uploading a falsely "official document," without verification to "conduct activities wholly unrelated to correctional-facility telephone services," the letter said.

Wyden called for an immediate FCC investigation of Securus and for the "wireless carriers to investigate their own practices," and "obvious potential for abuse."

After the revelation, KrebsOnSecurity reported a major location aggregator, LocationSmart, offered access to track any American's AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile or Verizon phone through an insecure website.

RELATED Facebook bug set 14M users' post settings to public

In response, Verizon released a letter Tuesday saying the company would end its location data-sharing contracts with two third parties, LocationSmart and Zumigo "as soon as possible," "so as not to disrupt beneficial services," including fraud prevention and call routing.

"In the meantime, Verizon will not authorize any new use of location information by LocationSmart and Zumigo," Verizon Chief Privacy Officer Karen Zacharia said.

AT&T responded that it never authorized the use of customer data for the Securus portal but would investigate any unauthorized access. The company also followed Verizon's lead and said it would end contracts with major location aggregators. T-Mobile and Sprint also provided responses to Wyden's letter, but declined to offer a similar pledge to stop selling customer location data to third parties.

"While @Verizon & @ATT have now pledged to stop selling customer location data to shady middlemen, @TMobile & @sprint seem content to keep selling customers' private information, Americans' privacy be damned," Wyden tweeted Tuesday.

The decision comes on the heels of scrutiny over data privacy issues after Facebook sold the user data of more than 87 million users to Cambridge Analytica, a British data firm.

The FCC launched its investigation into LocationSmart last month, but Wyden has called on FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to recuse himself.

"Chairman Pai's total abandonment of his responsibility to protect Americans' security shows that he can't be trusted to oversee an investigation into the shady companies that he used to represent," Wyden said.

  • Topics
  • Ron Wyden
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more UPI news and photos.

Trending Stories

Pentagon chief to review funds to shift for building border wall
Anthony Weiner released from prison to federal re-entry program
Four hostages, gunman dead after 12-hour hostage standoff in Mississippi
Teen who joined IS in Syria gives birth, seeks return to Britain
Jussie Smollett's lawyers deny he orchestrated attack

Photo Gallery

 
Kacey Musgraves, Lady Gaga win at the Grammys

Latest News

British investigators: Facebook intentionally violated data privacy laws
Satellite images reveal magma chambers beneath Bali's Agung volcano
Lil Xan expecting first child with girlfriend Annie Smith
7 British lawmakers leave Labor Party over Brexit disagreement
Trump to address Venezuela crisis, Maduro power struggle in Miami speech
 
Back to Article
/
Back to top
About UPI Contact Feedback Advertisements Submit News Tips
Copyright © 2019 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of UsePrivacy Policy