August 22, 2025, 11:37 am | Read time: 2 minutes
In the U.S., the brand T-Mobile, which belongs to Deutsche Telekom, is facing a legal dispute. The accusation is that Deutsche Telekom allegedly sold customer location data to third parties.
Telekom Sold Location Data – Million-Dollar Fine Looms
According to a report by “Ars Technica,” the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) had already penalized T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon, the three largest mobile operators in the U.S., in 2024 due to similar incidents. The FCC is an independent agency regulating communication via broadcast, satellite, and cable.
Overall, it involves $92 million in fines that Deutsche Telekom is supposed to pay in the U.S. Before an appeals court, the company suffered a setback as the court unanimously rejected T-Mobile’s appeal.
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Telekom Sold Location Data Without Permission and Security
The accusation is that, like other competitors, Deutsche Telekom allegedly sold customer location data to third parties between 2018 and 2019. They reportedly did not have customer permission, and according to the FCC, there were insufficient security measures against unauthorized access to this data. The offered data supposedly included real-time data.
According to the new ruling, every smartphone is a “tracking device” because it must connect to the nearest cell tower, thereby transmitting location data. This reveals the location of the respective person. These exact details are what T-Mobile and its associated brand, Sprint, allegedly sold.
Data Sales Abused by Dubious Actors
The problem extends further: The judges also stated that several “bad actors” allegedly exploited Sprint and T-Mobile’s programs to gain access to location data. The companies reportedly noticed this over time. Nevertheless, they continued selling the data without implementing additional security measures.
The Telekom brands T-Mobile and Sprint do not dispute the allegations, which would typically be an expected step. Instead, they argue that they did not violate any laws. However, the appeals court decided that the arguments presented were unfounded.
As the report indicates, Telekom is currently evaluating the latest court decision. There is no further comment on this. TECHBOOK has also inquired with Deutsche Telekom and T-Mobile in the U.S. The parent company states that it will not comment on T-Mobile. It is quite possible that, like AT&T and Verizon, further legal steps are being considered.