Trump Mobile hack and apparent lack of FCC authorization raise security alarms

Ties to Liberty Mobile raise questions

Hassan said the authorization process requires disclosure of foreign ownership so the FCC can assess potential national security risks. These FCC filings are required both for carriers that operate their own networks and Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) like Trump Mobile, which resell other carriers’ mobile service, Hassan’s letter said.

Hassan’s letter cited a 2012 ruling against a different carrier, in which the FCC said “international telecommunications carriers that fail to obtain Section 214 authority may endanger important public interest considerations involving national security, law enforcement, foreign policy and trade policy.” She also cited the 2021 revocation of China Telecom Americas’ authorization, in which the FCC said that a carrier controlled by a foreign government could be used to “access, monitor, store, disrupt and/or misroute US communications” for the purpose of espionage.

Hassan asked questions about Trump Mobile’s ties to Liberty Mobile Wireless, an MVNO based in Florida. Trump Mobile officials told The Verge in February that Liberty Mobile is the “enabler” and “backbone” of Trump Mobile, and that Liberty Mobile handles much of Trump Mobile’s technical, legal, and financial operations.

Trump Mobile officials’ statements to The Verge indicated that Trump Mobile and Liberty Mobile are run by the same people. Hassan’s letter asked whether Trump Mobile owns, operates, or controls Liberty Mobile.

Missing robocall database filings

Trump Mobile emerged last year, claiming it would sell a phone made entirely in the US. Trump Mobile quickly abandoned that claim but couldn’t deliver the promised phone on time. Preorders shipped nearly a year late, and the phone’s price increased from $499 to $749. Hassan’s letter noted that the phone itself is reportedly “a near exact match for the HTC U24 Pro, a phone launched in 2024 and manufactured in China.”