Senator Hassan says Trump Mobile may lack FCC authorization — Ars Technica
In the United States, Democratic Senator from New Hampshire Maggie Hassan said that Trump Mobile likely has not obtained the required authorization from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to provide international telephone services. In a letter to the company’s CEO, Patrick O’Brien, she also raised issues of customer data protection and efforts to combat fraudulent calls.
As Ars Technica reports, Trump Mobile advertises the ability to call more than 230 countries and territories. According to Hassan, a search of the FCC’s international filings system indicates that the company may not have authorization under Section 214 of the U.S. Communications Act of 1934, which is required for such services.
Questions for Trump Mobile’s partner
The senator noted that the procedure for obtaining such authorization requires disclosure of foreign ownership information so that the FCC can assess potential national security risks. These requirements, she said, also apply to mobile virtual network operators that resell other operators’ services.
Hassan’s separate questions concern Trump Mobile’s ties with Florida-based company Liberty Mobile Wireless. Trump Mobile representatives had previously described it as the technical, legal, and financial foundation of the service. The senator asked for an explanation of whether Trump Mobile owns, manages, or controls the company.
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Data protection and the fight against spam
The letter also mentions reports that hackers stole the personal data of 3,615 Trump Mobile customers, as well as the company’s previous confirmation that one of its suppliers exposed users’ personal data online. Hassan wrote that a ransomware group claimed that, after being notified of the breach, Trump Mobile allegedly responded that it did not have a team to handle such a situation.
In addition, the senator cited possible shortcomings in subscriber identity verification procedures. According to her, Liberty Mobile Wireless’ latest filing to the FCC database did not describe “know your customer” procedures, while a search of the database found no filings from Trump Mobile or its operating name, T1 Mobile LLC.
Hassan asked O’Brien to provide answers by October 29. She also raised questions about Trump Mobile’s ownership structure, its relationships with other operators, subscriber verification, compliance with regulatory requirements, and the sourcing of components for the company’s phones.
