FCC Archives

Feb 10, 2022

Use of Signal Jammer to Prevent Employees from Using their Phones at Work Results in FCC Fine

Authored By: Marcia M. Ernst While the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) previously upheld an employer policy that prohibited employee phone use at work for safety and security reasons[1], the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) recently upheld a fine against an employer for using a signal jamming device to prevent employees from using their phones at work.[2] Signal jammers, which overpower, block, or interfere with authorized radio frequencies and communications, are illegal under the federal Communications Act of 1934, as amended (“Act”)[3], with only a few exceptions recognized for use by the government. Jammers present a direct danger to public safety… Read more

Apr 9, 2015

FCC Steps Up Data Enforcement Role With $25 Million Fine

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced yesterday that it has entered into a settlement with AT&T Services, Inc. as a result of the FCC’s investigation of a series of data breaches during 2013 and 2014 at AT&T call centers in Mexico, Colombia, and the Philippines. As part of the settlement, AT&T must pay a $25 million civil money penalty — the largest data enforcement ever imposed by the FCC for data privacy and security concerns — provide data breach notification to affected customers and offer those customers credit monitoring services. The data breaches involved over 40 employees who stole sensitive… Read more

Jun 12, 2009

New Ruling on Exclusive Cable Contracts

On May 26, 2009, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, in the case of National Cable & Telecommunications Ass’n v. Federal Communications Commission, 2009 WL 1444094 (D.C. Cir. 2009), upheld a rule and order of the Federal Communications Commission, 22 F.C.C.R. 20,235 (2007), that banned exclusivity provisions in contracts between cable companies and owners of apartment buildings. There is the possibility that this decision may be reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court, but absent a reversal by the Supreme Court, the FCC rule governs. The decision by the Court of Appeals is an important… Read more