After a January 2019, Motherboard report was released that showed three major wireless providers (AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint) were sharing customer location data in an unregulated market which leads to unauthorized handling and data breaches, 15 senators called on the FCC to investigate how wireless providers use customer data. 

Democratic FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks has commissioned the FCC to widely investigate wireless providers' location data sharing practices and its use by third-party companies. 

In response to the Motherboard report, AT&T said it will stop selling its customer's location data to third-party service providers. 

This comes on the heels of the FCC's confirmation that in May 2018,  there were allegations concerning millions of wireless customers' location data being leaked online due to a bug in a data firm's website. AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint were revealed through a report that they were selling customer's data location through an intermediary, LocationSmart.

Despite this, the Chairman of the FCC, Ajit Pai has remained pretty silently in regards to the sensitive customer data handling.  

"I think the chairman should be more clear on where he stands on this," Starks said to Politico, although noting that ongoing investigations are to remain confidential.

Congress would like to ensure that the corporations are liable for their actions in potentially allowing criminal to track sensitive customer data information on the dark web.

“I’m extraordinarily troubled by reports of this system of repackaging and reselling location data to unregulated third-party services for potentially nefarious purposes,” said Senator Kamala Harris. “If true, this practice represents a legitimate threat to our personal and national security.” 

Make sure you're following Blavity:Politics on Instagram and join our daily newsletter to stay engaged and informed.

Now check these out:

Groundbreaking Scientist Warren Washington To Win Nobel Prize For Climate Change

Like Jeff Bezos, Terry Crews Says He Was Also Targeted By The National Enquirer

Rosalind Brewer Becomes The Second Black Person Appointed To Amazon's Board Of Directors