Verizon will no longer sell mobile customers’ real-time locations to two third-party data brokers “to prevent misuse of that information,” it wrote Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., in a response which he released Tuesday. AT&T said it's also ending the practice. Verizon sold the data to LocationSmart and Zumigo, which then resold it to other companies. “We conducted a comprehensive review of our location aggregator program,” wrote Verizon Chief Privacy Officer Karen Zacharia. “We are initiating a process to terminate our existing agreements for the location aggregator program.” She said Verizon won’t sign new agreements “unless and until we are comfortable that we can adequately protect our customers’ location data through technological advancements and/or other practices.” AT&T did the same, a spokesperson said. “Our top priority is to protect our customers’ information, and, to that end, we will be ending our work with aggregators for these services as soon as practical in a way that preserves important, potential lifesaving services like emergency roadside assistance.” “Sounds like word hasn’t gotten to you, @ronwyden,” tweeted T-Mobile CEO John Legere. “I’ve personally evaluated this issue & have pledged that @tmobile will not sell customer location data to shady middlemen.” T-Mobile also responded more formally to Wyden. Sprint said it takes steps to protect customer privacy. Wyden noted the Verizon and AT&T statements in a tweet.
Verizon will no longer sell mobile customers’ real-time locations to two third-party data brokers “to prevent misuse of that information,” it wrote Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., in a response which he released Tuesday. AT&T said it's also ending the practice. Verizon sold the data to LocationSmart and Zumigo, which then resold it to other companies. “We conducted a comprehensive review of our location aggregator program,” wrote Verizon Chief Privacy Officer Karen Zacharia. “We are initiating a process to terminate our existing agreements for the location aggregator program.” She said Verizon won’t sign new agreements “unless and until we are comfortable that we can adequately protect our customers’ location data through technological advancements and/or other practices.” AT&T did the same, a spokesperson said. “Our top priority is to protect our customers’ information, and, to that end, we will be ending our work with aggregators for these services as soon as practical in a way that preserves important, potential lifesaving services like emergency roadside assistance.” “Sounds like word hasn’t gotten to you, @ronwyden,” tweeted T-Mobile CEO John Legere. “I’ve personally evaluated this issue & have pledged that @tmobile will not sell customer location data to shady middlemen.” T-Mobile also responded more formally to Wyden. Sprint said it takes steps to protect customer privacy. Wyden noted the Verizon and AT&T statements in a tweet.
The full excise tax rates for imported alcohol beverages are still in effect, the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America said in an email to members. "CBP has advised that the instructions" sent out in a January CSMS message "are still in effect," the NCBFAA said. "CBP is working with the [Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau] TTB for implementing guidance. NCBFAA has spoken to alcoholic beverage importer associations about common questions and continues dialogue with CBP about when the lower rates can be used, how the requirements are to be determined and enforced, and for retroactive claim relief." CBP recently added and then removed updates in a Harmonized System Update related to the excise tax changes (see 1806080006).
If the Securing the International Mail Against Opioids Act of 2018 becomes law, the Government Accountability Office will evaluate how effective the use of advance electronic data has been in stopping the flow of fentanyl and other opioid packages, and it will assess "whether the detection of illicit synthetic opioids in the international mail would be improved by requiring the Postal Service to serve as the consignee for international mail shipments containing goods; or designating a customs broker to act as an importer of record for international mail shipments containing goods."
A New York customs broker filed a guilty plea in connection with "a scheme to evade federal excise tax on imported cigars," the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida said in a news release. Alberto Rodriguez, of Briarwood, New York, allegedly used false entry summaries to misrepresent "among other things, the quantities of large cigars imported into the United States and the Federal tobacco excise tax due for those importations," the Department of Justice said. "In addition to consistently underreporting and evading the Federal tobacco excise tax, Rodriguez transmitted false and fraudulent documents to CBP using the United States Postal Service mail," DOJ said.
The Food and Drug Administration posted its updated list of filer evaluation outcomes for June 2018. The frequency of filer evaluations depends on the number of lines filed by the company. An outcome of "paperless" means FDA has determined that electronic filing is appropriate, while "corrective action plan" means FDA has found an elevated error rate and has directed the filer to fix the issue, and "dual-mode filer" means the company has failed to implement corrective action plans and has been returned to dual-mode (paper and electronic) filing. The following filer evaluation outcomes were updated in FDA's June 2018 list:
Inbound aircraft will be required to file the advance data established under the Air Cargo Advance Screening program starting June 12, CBP said in an interim final rule. The rule was in the works for several years, during which the ACAS program was piloted on a voluntary basis. The final rule allows for a yearlong phased implementation. CBP and the Transportation Security Administration will use the data for earlier risk assessments, it said. CBP seeks comments on the rule by Aug. 13
Inbound aircraft will be required to file the advance data established under the Air Cargo Advance Screening program starting June 12, CBP said in an interim final rule. The rule was in the works for several years, during which the ACAS program was piloted on a voluntary basis. The final rule allows for a yearlong phased implementation. CBP and the Transportation Security Administration will use the data for earlier risk assessments, it said. CBP seeks comments on the rule by Aug. 13
If the Securing the International Mail Against Opioids Act of 2018 becomes law, the Government Accountability Office will evaluate how effective the use of advance electronic data has been in stopping the flow of fentanyl and other opioid packages, and it will assess "whether the detection of illicit synthetic opioids in the international mail would be improved by requiring the Postal Service to serve as the consignee for international mail shipments containing goods; or designating a customs broker to act as an importer of record for international mail shipments containing goods."
BALTIMORE -- CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan told an audience of import and export professionals that CBP is going to use the White House directive on regulatory reform to edit regulations across many areas, including bonded warehouses, foreign-trade zones, vessel arrival, e-bonds and ending the requirement that customs brokers have local certification. McAleenan, who was speaking at the American Association of Exporters and Importers annual conference June 8, also touched on agency initiatives in improving screening of small packages, protecting trademarks and copyrights, and blocking shipments of goods produced with forced labor. He encouraged everyone to make e-allegations on forced labor, and said he just received one from junior high school students in Maine who are concerned about slave labor in the chocolate industry.