Jan. 12 at 8:26 PM
The Federal Communications Commission revised a rule that had required Verizon to unlock mobile devices 60 days after activation, citing significant fraud-related losses. The FCC said the previous requirement cost Verizon hundreds of millions of dollars annually and was exploited by criminal networks.
According to the agency, unlocked Verizon devices were frequently stolen and resold at premium prices on the dark web, particularly in countries such as Russia, China, and Cuba. The FCC said the change closes a loophole that enabled both organized crime and individual offenders to engage in illegal activity.
$VZ