FCC Chair sends Letters of Inquiry on Consumer Data Privacy Practices

[Sean Donelan <sean () donelan com>]

FCC Chairwoman Roseworcel Probes Top Mobile Carriers On Data Privacy 
Practices

The FCC website content management system is messed up this evening, but 
as far as I can tell

AT&T
Best Buy
Charter
Comcast
Consumer Cellular
C-Spire
Google Fi
////
I assume the rest of the alphabet will show up when FCC fixes its document 
web system.


The questions are more or less the same, but change the brand names.  This 
is from the letter to AT&T

(1) Data retention:
a. Please describe in detail the geolocation data that AT&T and Cricket 
Wireless collect and/or retain regarding current and/or former 
subscribers. How is that data collected?
b. Please explain the reasons geolocation data is retained for both 
current and former subscribers.
c. How long is geolocation data retained for both current and former 
subscribers.
d. Please provide a description of what safeguards AT&T and Cricket 
Wireless use to protect current and former subscriber geolocation data.
e. In what country (or countries) is geolocation data stored?
f. Please share whether and how you disclose your data retention policies 
to subscribers.
g. What is your data deletion policy for current or former subscribers, 
and how do you dispose of subscriber geolocation data?
h. Do your subscribers have any opportunity to opt-out of your data 
retention policies and if not, why not?

(2) Data sharing
a. Please provide AT&T and Cricket Wireless’s process and policies for 
sharing subscriber geolocation data with law enforcement?
b. Describe the arrangements, agreements, and circumstances in which AT&T 
and Cricket Wireless share subscriber geolocation data with third parties 
that are not law enforcement.
c. Describe in detail the process by which a subscriber may opt out of the 
sharing of their geolocation data. Under this opt-out process is that 
subscriber’s data still shared with third parties? In particular, does the 
opt-out process allow a subscriber  to opt out of the sharing of their 
geolocation data with all third parties that are not law enforcement?
d. Are subscribers notified of the sharing of their geolocation 
information with third parties that are not law enforcement? And if so, 
how are they notified?