US Supreme Court Denies Verizon’s $47 Million FCC Fine Refund
Verizon’s attempt to overturn a penalty for selling mobile users’ location data without consent has failed at the highest level, though competitors AT&T and T-Mobile maintain their arguments that the sales did not breach telecommunications law.
The US Supreme Court has rejected Verizon’s petition seeking a $47 million refund from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), effectively closing the door on the carrier’s ability to seek further lower court review of the penalty. The denial, issued in a list of orders without explanation, concludes Verizon’s legal battle over a fine imposed in 2024 for selling mobile users’ real-time location data without consent.
The penalty was part of a broader $196 million enforcement action levied against major carriers, including AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint, for distributing device-location information to data aggregators. While Verizon’s legal options are now exhausted, its competitors continue to challenge similar fines, arguing that the sale of such data does not violate US telecommunications law.
Verizon had argued that the FCC’s handling of the fine was inconsistent, claiming it was misled regarding the binding nature of the forfeiture order. In its petition, the carrier stated it was “tricked” into paying because the FCC initially presented the fine as binding but later asserted that forfeiture orders do not compel payment. Verizon contended that the Supreme Court’s disposition threatened to foreclose its ability to argue that the fine itself was not legally justifiable.
The carrier highlighted a discrepancy in legal recourse compared to its rivals. AT&T’s case was remanded to the US Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, and T-Mobile is seeking Supreme Court review, whereas Verizon’s case was affirmed by the 2nd Circuit without remand. Verizon told the Court that a dispositional change, such as affirming with a remand, would have placed it on equal footing with other carriers subject to nearly identical orders.
Despite the loss, Verizon reported quarterly revenue of $34.3 billion and net income of $3.9 billion in the second quarter of 2026. The major carriers have discontinued the data-sharing programs related to the fines but maintain that the penalties were illegal. An AT&T or T-Mobile victory in their ongoing challenges could limit the ability of future FCC chairs to punish carriers for the sale of device-location data.
