This week, AT&T informed millions of customers that their data was likely taken in an April incident it announced earlier this month. AT&T and its rivals have pushed back against and substantially impacted a patchwork of data rules, alleging that it has failed to reign in the problem.
Cybercriminals valued AT&T customers’ stolen data so much that the FBI encouraged the corporation to delay filing a report with the SEC due to national security and public safety concerns. Data from “nearly all” AT&T cellular customers and wireless providers that used its network between May 1 and October 31, 2022, was compromised.
Consumer advocacy groups and lawmakers have long supported customer data protection. Though approximately 20 states have implemented data privacy legislation, the patchwork of policies among states and agencies can lead to inconsistencies, ambiguities, and gaps. Further complicating matters, Big Tech and phone carrier lobbying have substantially influenced many state and local regulation attempts.
AT&T stated, “We have long supported a comprehensive federal privacy policy protecting all Americans that applies across the internet ecosystem. We still think a federal privacy policy should protect all customers under a single regulator.
