US Supreme Court to assess FCC power to fine in clash with wireless carriers

WASHINGTON: The U.S. Supreme Court is set on Tuesday to hear a dispute involving fines imposed by the Federal Communications Commission on major U.S. wireless carriers for their alleged failure to safeguard customer data in the latest case to reach the justices challenging the powers of a U.S. regulatory agency.

The legal fight concerns whether the FCC’s assessment of tens of millions of dollars in penalties against carriers such as Verizon Communications and AT&T – before the companies had their day in court – exceeded the agency’s authority under the U.S. Constitution.