Data privacy issues sought to be addressed by new FCC task force

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission is looking to resolve data privacy issues with a new privacy and data protection task force, CyberScoop reports. Such a task force, which will be spearheaded by FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief Loyaan Egal, will not only bolster efforts to curb SIM swapping attacks and establish carrier standards for customer authentication, but also lead the agency's data breach rule modernization efforts, said FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel at the Center for Democracy and Technology. The new task force was also noted by Rosenworcel to be tasked with investigating mobile carriers' geolocation data collection practices, following findings revealing that such data has been gathered by most mobile carriers without consumer opt-out options. Two companies are also expected to face enforcement action due to lacking customer communications data protections, according to Rosenworcel. "I can't say more right now, but I can say this right out of the gate: We are showing that this task force means business," Rosenworcel added.