AT&T denies that selling phone location data was illegal as FCC investigates [telecom]

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Carrier data sales ultimately leaked real-time locations of cell phone users.

By Jon Brodkin

AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon have all told the Federal Communications Commission that they recently stopped selling their customers' phone location information to other companies. Sprint said it is phasing out the sales and will shut them down by the end of this month.

The details came in letters to FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, who had demanded an update on the carriers' sale of customers' real-time geolocation data. Rosenworcel released the carriers' responses yesterday.