SCOTUS Rules Against AT&T, Verizon Over Fines For Selling Location Data

The orders at issue did not settle the carriers’ legal obligations because, stated simply, they did not create an obligation to pay,” he went on

“And the orders did not reflect the ultimate determination of any fact because, before the carriers could have been made to pay, the Government was required to prove its case to a jury,” said the chief justice.

The outcome was foreshadowed during oral arguments, where several justices appeared unconvinced by AT&T’s and Verizon’s constitutional objections and suggested that FCC penalty orders do not become legally binding until a court is asked to enforce them.