T-Mobile Settling $31.5 Million with FCC over Data Breaches
T-Mobile has reached a $31.5 million settlement with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to resolve investigations into data breaches affecting millions of customers. The settlement requires T-Mobile to invest $15.75 million in cybersecurity and pay a $15.75 million civil penalty.
The settlement follows FCC investigations into data breaches involving T-Mobile in 2021, 2022, and 2023. The FCC determined that T-Mobile failed to implement adequate cybersecurity measures, resulting in breaches that exploited various vulnerabilities.
“Today’s mobile networks are prime targets for cybercriminals,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “We will continue to hold providers accountable for protecting sensitive customer data.”
T-Mobile acknowledged its responsibility to safeguard customer information and stated that the incidents occurred years ago and were promptly addressed. The company emphasized that it has made significant investments in its cybersecurity program.
The FCC’s Privacy and Data Protection Task Force played a key role in the investigation and settlement process. The task force was established to enhance the FCC’s efforts to protect consumer privacy and data security.
This settlement follows similar agreements reached with AT&T and Verizon, highlighting the FCC’s commitment to addressing cybersecurity concerns in the telecommunications industry. T-Mobile’s settlement includes specific measures to strengthen its security posture, such as adopting zero trust architectures and phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication.
According to the settlement, T-Mobile will work to improve its cybersecurity hygiene, implement foundational security enhancements, and adopt modern security practices to prevent future breaches.
