The FCC has imposed fines totaling $196 million on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon for selling customers' location data without consent.

T-Mobile was hit with the largest fine at $80 million, with AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint facing fines of over $57 million, close to $47 million, and $12 million respectively.

This unauthorized sale of data enabled third parties, including a Mississippi sheriff through Securus, to track individuals via their cell phones.

The mobile carriers intend to appeal the fines, challenging the FCC's allegations as lacking in legal and factual basis.

In response to privacy concerns, the FCC has formed a Privacy and Data Protection Task Force and is considering new rules to protect domestic violence survivors from location tracking.