The Supreme Court upheld the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) authority to pursue monetary penalties against telecom giants AT&T and Verizon, ruling the agency’s enforcement process does not violate the Seventh Amendment because companies can ultimately demand a jury trial in federal court.
The case stemmed from roughly $57 million in fines against AT&T over its handling of customer location data.
Justice Clarence Thomas broke with the court’s conservative majority in a lone dissent, writing: “Today, the Court punishes AT&T and Verizon for complying with a government order that they in good faith believed was obligatory.”
He argued the process undermines constitutional protections on property rights.
This is a breaking news article. Updates to follow.
