Supreme Court Appears Wary of Limiting FCC Fine Power
Justices questioned AT&T and Verizon challenges to FCC forfeitures totaling $104 million tied to alleged sales of customers' location data.
ARS TechnicaSupreme Court arguments make it clear that FCC fines are "nonbinding"
PBS NewsHourLISTEN: Supreme Court seems skeptical of limiting FCC's power to fine companies
Epoch TimesSupreme Court Seems Inclined to Limit FCC’s Authority to Issue Fines
ABC NewsSupreme Court seems wary of limiting federal regulators' power in a data privacy case
Overview
During oral arguments Tuesday, justices appeared skeptical of AT&T and Verizon's claim that the FCC's forfeiture process violated their Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial.
The dispute stems from FCC forfeitures imposed in 2024 that fined AT&T $57 million and Verizon $47 million for allegedly selling customers' real-time location data without consent.
The Trump administration defended the FCC's process as an essential regulatory tool, and a government lawyer said the FCC may revise language to clarify companies need not pay until a court enforces the orders.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit threw out AT&T's forfeiture while the 2nd Circuit upheld Verizon's, and advocates warned a ruling could affect other agencies using similar enforcement mechanisms.
A ruling in the cases is expected by late June.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources report this story neutrally: they emphasize court process and skepticism without loaded language, cite justices’ questions and a government lawyer’s explanation that fines are 'nonbinding,' and present both carriers’ and government positions. Editorial choices favor procedural description; direct quotes and case outcomes remain clearly source content rather than framing.