Story perspectives

Supreme Court Upholds $104M FCC Fines on AT&T, Verizon

6/5/2026

Summary

Supreme Court Rejects

Supreme Court rejected AT&T's and Verizon's constitutional challenge to FCC fines in an 8-1 decision.
The FCC fined AT&T $57 million and Verizon $47 million, a total of $104 million.
A 5th Circuit overturned AT&T’s penalty and a 2nd Circuit upheld Verizon’s, creating a split.
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote carriers could only get a jury trial by refusing payment, a view Justice Clarence Thomas opposed, saying paying under protest removed that right.

Summary

Court Curbs FCC

Court ruled FCC forfeiture orders are not self-executing, requiring the Justice Department to sue within five years to collect fines.
The FCC levied $57 million on AT&T, $47 million on Verizon, $80 million on T-Mobile and $12 million on Sprint for location-data violations.
Chairman Brendan Carr now has a confirmed enforcement tool, after an investigation linked carrier data sales to a Missouri sheriff who illegally tracked individuals without a warrant.

Summary

Court Backs FCC

Supreme Court endorsed the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) funding mechanism for a multi-billion-dollar connectivity program in a 2025 decision.
The program aims to expand phone and broadband service to low-income and rural Americans and is financed through a dedicated funding structure the Court found lawful.
By also upholding the FCC’s authority in a 2026 forfeiture-order case, the Court signaled broader judicial support for the agency’s consumer-protection and connectivity initiatives.

History

Historical Context

The 1934 Communications Act created the FCC to regulate telephone carriers. Clinton’s 1996 Telecommunications Act expanded that authority, letting the agency protect location-data privacy and levy large penalties. After a $30 million AT&T fine in 2005, the Supreme Court’s 2024-25 rulings upheld $104 million fines against major carriers, extending the Act’s oversight legacy.

1 of 4

Supreme Court Rejects

Supreme Court rejected AT&T's and Verizon's constitutional challenge to FCC fines in an 8-1 decision.
The FCC fined AT&T $57 million and Verizon $47 million, a total of $104 million.
A 5th Circuit overturned AT&T’s penalty and a 2nd Circuit upheld Verizon’s, creating a split.
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote carriers could only get a jury trial by refusing payment, a view Justice Clarence Thomas opposed, saying paying under protest removed that right.

1 / 4