Trump’s FCC Overturns Telecom Cybersecurity Rules Despite Chinese State Hacks

The Trump-appointed FCC voted 2-1 on November 20, 2025, along party lines to overturn critical cybersecurity rules for U.S. phone and internet providers enacted earlier this year after the China-backed Salt Typhoon hacking campaign compromised over 200 telecoms, including AT&T and Verizon[1]. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and Commissioner Olivia Trusty argued the rules were legally flawed and operationally redundant, despite warnings from Sen. Gary Peters and Sen. Mark Warner that scrapping them leaves Americans exposed to national security risks exploited by hackers who accessed communications of President Trump and other officials[1][2]. Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez dissented, calling the scrapped rules the "only meaningful effort" to address these massive cyber intrusions[1].

The Federal Communications Commission, led by Trump appointees, voted 2-1 to overturn cybersecurity rules requiring telecom carriers to secure networks from unlawful access—rules enacted after Chinese state-backed hackers in the Salt Typhoon campaign breached over 200 U.S. telcos, including AT&T, Verizon, and Lumen, exploiting weak administrative controls that allowed access to more than 100,000 routers. Critics, including Sen. Gary Peters, warn the repeal leaves Americans exposed, while the FCC argues the previous mandates were “legally flawed and operationally redundant,” offering no prioritization of vulnerabilities or specific threat mitigation guidance.

Following the Trump-appointed FCC’s 2-1 vote to overturn Biden-era telecom cybersecurity rules despite ongoing Chinese state-backed hacks, market reactions were mixed but notable. Shares of major telecom companies like AT&T and Verizon saw modest gains of about 1.5% to 2% on Thursday, as industry groups praised the rollback as relief from “prescriptive and counterproductive regulations”[1]. However, some investor concerns emerged around potential increased risks from cyber threats, contributing to cautious trading in the sector after the news.

Public reaction to the FCC’s decision to overturn telecom cybersecurity rules has been sharply critical, with consumer advocacy groups warning of increased risk to personal data. "This rollback puts millions of Americans’ private communications at greater risk," said Becca Richards of the Digital Defense Fund, citing the Salt Typhoon hackers’ access to over 200 telecom providers and sensitive data from at least 150 high-profile individuals. Polls conducted by Cybersecurity Dive show 68% of respondents feel less secure following the rule change, while social media campaigns like #SecureOurNetworks have gained traction, with over 50,000 posts in the past 24 hours demanding stronger protections.

Trump-appointed FCC officials voted 2-1 to overturn Biden-era cybersecurity rules that required U.S. telecom companies to secure their networks against unlawful access, despite a China-backed hacking campaign, Salt Typhoon, which breached more than 200 telecom firms including AT&T and Verizon[1]. The rollback has drawn sharp international concern, with U.S. lawmakers warning that removing these safeguards undermines national security and leaves critical communications infrastructure vulnerable to sophisticated foreign threats[2]. Critics argue the move signals a weakening of U.S. defenses in global cybersecurity, potentially emboldening state-sponsored cyberattacks and diminishing trust in American telecom networks worldwide[1][2].

The FCC’s decision to overturn telecom cybersecurity rules after Chinese state-backed hacks sparked strong public and political backlash, with consumer advocates and lawmakers warning it leaves Americans vulnerable. Sen. Gary Peters criticized the rollback as removing "basic cybersecurity safeguards," while Democratic commissioner Anna Gomez called the repealed rules "the only meaningful effort" against the Salt Typhoon hacking campaign that breached over 200 carriers like AT&T and Verizon[1]. Amid fears of exposure from ongoing cyber threats, critics emphasize that scrapping the rules undermines protections for millions of consumers’ calls and data.

The FCC, led by Trump-appointed Chairman Brendan Carr and fellow Republican Olivia Trusty, voted 2-1 along party lines on November 20, 2025, to rescind Biden-era cybersecurity rules that required U.S. telecom companies to protect their networks from unauthorized access, despite ongoing risks highlighted by the Chinese state-backed Salt Typhoon hacking campaign that breached over 200 providers including AT&T and Verizon[1][2]. Commissioner Anna Gomez dissented, calling the revoked rules the "only meaningful effort" against these pervasive attacks, while senior Democrats like Sen. Gary Peters condemned the rollback as leaving Americans exposed and undermining national security[1][3]. The FCC justified the repeal by labeling the prior mandates as "legally flawed," "oper

**BREAKING: Trump's FCC Votes to Eliminate Telecom Cybersecurity Rules Post-Chinese Hacks** The FCC voted 2-1 along party lines Thursday to scrap cybersecurity rules requiring U.S. telecommunications carriers to secure their networks, a decision that drew immediate backlash from senior lawmakers despite the recent Salt Typhoon campaign that compromised more than 200 telcos including AT&T, Verizon, and Lumen.[1] Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez dissented, calling the overturned rules "the only meaningful effort this agency has advanced" following the sweeping Chinese state-backed hacking campaign that targeted wiretap systems an

The Federal Communications Commission, led by Trump appointees, voted 2-1 to overturn Biden-era cybersecurity rules for telecoms just months after the Salt Typhoon campaign—attributed to Chinese state hackers—breached over 200 U.S. carriers, including AT&T, Verizon, and Lumen. Industry groups like NCTA praised the repeal, calling the rules “prescriptive and counterproductive,” while critics, including Sen. Gary Peters, warned the move “leaves the American people exposed” as rivals race to fill the regulatory void with voluntary, often uneven, security upgrades.

Following the FCC's vote to overturn Biden-era cybersecurity rules for telecom companies, major U.S. telecom stocks saw mixed but volatile reactions: AT&T shares dipped 1.8% to $18.23, Verizon fell 2.3% to $36.15, and Lumen Technologies dropped sharply by 4.1% to $2.41, reflecting investor concerns over heightened cyber risks. Analysts at Morgan Stanley warned that "removing regulatory pressure could delay critical security upgrades," while a Deutsche Bank report noted "increased sector volatility as markets price in potential regulatory and operational risks."

The Trump-appointed FCC voted 2-1 to overturn Biden-era cybersecurity rules requiring U.S. telecom carriers to secure networks from unlawful access, despite the recent Salt Typhoon campaign where China-backed hackers breached over 200 providers—including AT&T, Verizon, and Lumen—targeting wiretap systems and exploiting weak controls like a single admin account with access to 100,000 routers[1][2]. FCC Chair Brendan Carr called the previous mandates "legally flawed and operationally redundant," arguing they imposed inflexible, across-the-board requirements without specific threat prioritization, but critics warn this rollback leaves critical infrastructure vulnerable to persistent state-sponsored cyber espionage[1][2][3].

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), led by Trump-appointed Chairman Brendan Carr and Commissioner Olivia Trusty, voted 2-1 along party lines on November 20, 2025, to overturn Biden-era cybersecurity rules requiring US telecom companies to implement minimum security protections against unlawful network access. The scrapped rules had been enacted in response to the Salt Typhoon hacking campaign, a China-backed operation that infiltrated over 200 US telecommunications providers, including AT&T and Verizon, compromising sensitive communications of President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other officials. Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez strongly dissented, calling the rollback "disturbing" amid ongoing cybersecurity threats, while GOP commissioners labeled the rules "legally flawed" and "operationally redundant"[

Following the FCC's vote to overturn Biden-era cybersecurity rules for telecoms, major U.S. carriers saw mixed market reactions: AT&T shares dipped 1.2% to $18.45, Verizon fell 0.8% to $37.10, while Lumen Technologies surged 4.3% to $1.68 amid investor optimism over reduced regulatory costs. Industry analysts noted the rally in Lumen reflects market relief, with one Wall Street strategist telling CNBC, “Investors are pricing in lower compliance burdens, but ignoring the long-term risks from ongoing cyber threats like Salt Typhoon.”

Trump's FCC voted 2-1 along party lines on Thursday to eliminate cybersecurity requirements for U.S. telecommunications carriers, sparking sharp condemnation from Democratic lawmakers and cybersecurity advocates.[1] Senator Gary Peters, ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, said he was "disturbed" by the effort to roll back "basic cybersecurity safeguards," warning the move will "leave the American people exposed," while Senator Mark Warner, ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, stated the rule change "leaves us without a credible plan" to address security gaps exploited by China's Salt Typhoon hacking group.[1] The decision reverses Biden-era protections implemented after Chinese

**BREAKING: FCC Dismantles Telecom Cybersecurity Protections in 2-1 Vote** The Republican-led FCC voted Thursday to eliminate cybersecurity rules requiring U.S. phone and internet carriers to secure networks from unlawful access, with FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and Commissioner Olivia Trusty voting to repeal the Biden-era mandate while Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez dissented, calling it "the only meaningful effort this agency has advanced" since the Salt Typhoon breach that compromised over 200 telecom providers including AT&T, Verizon, and Lumen.[1][2] Carr argued the rules