FCC Imposes Nearly $200 Million in Fines on US Wireless Carriers (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon) for Illegal Location Data Sharing (neuters.de)
from ForgottenFlux@lemmy.world to technology@lemmy.world on 29 Apr 2024 20:26
https://lemmy.world/post/14841935

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."

About Neuters:

This is an alternative frontend to Reuters. It is intented to be lightweight, fast and was heavily inspired by Nitter.

  • No JavaScript or ads
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  • You can install libredirect or this browser extension to automatically forwards all reuters links to this site.

#technology

threaded - newest

shortwavesurfer@monero.town on 29 Apr 2024 20:37 next collapse

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

rdyoung@lemmy.world on 29 Apr 2024 20:38 collapse

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

shortwavesurfer@monero.town on 29 Apr 2024 20:42 collapse

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 on 29 Apr 2024 20:55 next collapse

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

halcyoncmdr@lemmy.world on 29 Apr 2024 21:46 next collapse

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

Nitter = Not Twitter Neuters = Not Reuters

shortwavesurfer@monero.town on 29 Apr 2024 22:01 collapse

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

SaltySalamander@fedia.io on 29 Apr 2024 22:38 collapse

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 on 29 Apr 2024 22:40 collapse

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.

Ranvier@lemmy.world on 29 Apr 2024 20:40 next collapse

Republicans of course voted against any fines at all:

arstechnica.com/…/fcc-fines-big-three-carriers-19…

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.

shortwavesurfer@monero.town on 29 Apr 2024 20:46 next collapse

Btw, gunna shill my community since its related. !t_mobile@lemmy.ml

cmnybo@discuss.tchncs.de on 29 Apr 2024 21:08 next collapse

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

PM_Your_Nudes_Please@lemmy.world on 29 Apr 2024 22:14 next collapse

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 on 29 Apr 2024 22:43 next collapse

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

NegativeLookBehind@lemmy.world on 30 Apr 2024 03:07 collapse

Lol at this guy thinking his rights matter

RagingSnarkasm@lemmy.world on 30 Apr 2024 04:01 collapse

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

qwertyqwertyqwerty@lemmy.one on 29 Apr 2024 21:18 next collapse

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

DancingBear@midwest.social on 29 Apr 2024 22:04 collapse

lol this is the first thought that crossed my mind

Badeendje@lemmy.world on 29 Apr 2024 21:59 next collapse

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.

empireOfLove2@lemmy.dbzer0.com on 29 Apr 2024 22:13 next collapse

AT&T Net income 2023: $15.6 billion
T-Mobile Net Income 2023: $8.3 billion
Verizon Net income 2023: $12.1 billion

Cost of doing business.

gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works on 30 Apr 2024 11:38 collapse

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

JCreazy@midwest.social on 29 Apr 2024 22:24 next collapse

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

Toes@ani.social on 29 Apr 2024 22:33 next collapse

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

urist@lemmy.blahaj.zone on 30 Apr 2024 07:20 collapse

Nueters

Oh no

how do you pronounce this? Noiters? Nooters?

Edit: it’s very nice, neat idea