The FCC has adopted a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, proposing a forfeiture penalty of $20 million against Q-Link Wireless LLC, a mobile virtual network operator, and Hello Mobile Telecom LLC, a provider of nationwide mobile wireless voice and data service, for apparent violations of FCC rules that require carriers to authenticate customers’ identity before providing online access to Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI).
The Enforcement Bureau investigated and determined that both companies, which have common ownership, relied upon practices that placed customer information at risk of unauthorized access and disclosure. The companies, through the same app, used sensitive biographical information and account information to control online access to CPNI, which violated the CPNI rules and placed consumers’ personal data at risk for privacy violations.
