T-Mobile US, Inc. Transparency Report for 2024
This Transparency Report provides information about responses prepared in response to legal demands for customer information during 2024. This Report includes, and makes no distinction between, legal demands addressed to T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile, Sprint and Ultra/Mint/Plum, which are referred to collectively as T-Mobile US, Inc. (“TMUS”). TMUS includes all the information in this Report that it is legally permitted to disclose, to the extent it maintains such information.
How We Operate
TMUS takes very seriously the privacy of its customers' information and its obligation to protect it from unlawful release. TMUS maintains a dedicated Legal and Emergency Response team (referred to as “LER”), which is available 24/7/365 to handle requests from government entities and other requestors. TMUS releases customer information only when legally permitted or required.
Legal Process Required
Various federal and state statutes permit or require release of subscriber information to government entities, criminal defendants and civil litigants who issue or obtain legal demands. The legal demands can take various forms, depending on the information sought. The most common types of legal demands are subpoenas, court orders, warrants, national security letters and requests under emergency circumstances. Each type of demand has its own corresponding legal standard and requirements that the requestor must meet for the demand to be lawful. Generally speaking, the more sensitive the type of information sought, the higher the legal standard required to obtain it. For example, requests for the content of communications, such as a wiretap request, require a more rigorous showing. Requests for subscriber name and address or records of voice calls are examples of non-content requests that require a less rigorous showing.
The following table identifies the most common types of subscriber information requested from TMUS and type of legal process required.
| Types of Information Requested | Minimum Required Legal Process | Legal Standard (Generally) |
|---|---|---|
| Subscriber Information (e.g., information a customer provides when signing up for service, such as name and address) | Subpoena | Based on determination that the information sought is relevant to a criminal or civil matter. |
| Historical Transaction Detail Information (e.g., non-content information about past voice calls, text messages or data sessions, such as start time, duration, numbers called or texted) | Subpoena | Based on determination that the information sought is relevant to a criminal or civil matter. |
| Emergency Information (e.g., subscriber information, location information, transactional detail, content (if available), in emergencies) | Certification of Emergency from Government Entity or verified request from Public Safety Answering Point | Good faith belief by the carrier that an emergency exists. |
| Real Time (prospective) Call Detail Information, Non-content (Pen register/trap and trace) (e.g., information on incoming and outgoing phone numbers for a specific phone/mobile device, time transmitted, duration of the call) | Pen Register Court Order | Relevant and material to an ongoing criminal investigation. |
| Historical Location Information (e.g., cell tower location information; timing advance; area dump) | Search Warrant | Probable cause. |
| Real Time (prospective) Audio content (e.g., phone conversation) | Wiretap Court Order | Probable cause. Only for certain serious crimes. |
| Real Time (prospective) Content (e.g., text messages or streamed data) | Wiretap Court Order | Probable cause. Only for certain serious crimes. |
| Real Time Location (e.g., approximate location of a phone/mobile device) | Search Warrant | Probable cause. |
| Historical Cell Tower Dump Information (e.g., list of phone numbers which used a specific cell tower during a specific period of time) | Court Order or Search Warrant | Relevant and material to an ongoing criminal investigation or probable cause. |
| Stored Content (e.g., text and voicemail messages, if stored) | Search Warrant | Probable cause. |
In some cases, more than one form of legal process may be acceptable. For example, Subscriber Information may be obtained through a subpoena, but may also be obtained through a court order or even a warrant.
Types of Legal Demands
Below is a general description of the types of legal demands TMUS receives.
Subpoenas
Subpoenas may be issued by government or non-government entities. Criminal defense and civil litigants are examples of non-government entities that may issue subpoenas. The subpoenas received generally request the type of information that appears on a customer's phone bill. TMUS will only release the six types of subscriber information allowed by 18 USC § 2703 pursuant to a subpoena: 1) customer name; 2) address; 3) network transactions, such as call details; 4) length of service; 5) telephone or device number or other subscriber number or identity and 6) means and source of payment information. TMUS does not release the content of a communication or location information in response to a government subpoena.
Court Orders (General)
General court orders are available to government and non-government entities. Criminal defense and civil litigants are examples of non-government entities that may obtain and serve court orders. There are many different types of court orders that compel disclosure of customer information. The type of information sought determines the specific legal standard of proof that the requestor must meet. Most of the court orders received by TMUS seek subscriber information, which can also be obtained through a subpoena. A judge must review a requestor's application for a court order and will issue the order only if the requestor has made the requisite showing under the law.
Wiretap Court Orders
Wiretap court orders are available only to government entities. Court orders for wiretaps seek the content of communications in real time. A judge must review the application for any real-time monitoring and sign a court order indicating that the government has made the requisite showing under the law.
Pen Register/Trap and Trace Court Orders
Pen register/trap and trace court orders are available only to government entities. Court orders for pen registers/trap and trace seek real time non-content information on incoming and outgoing transactions. A judge must review the application for any real-time monitoring and sign a court order indicating that the government has made the requisite showing under the law.
Search Warrants
Search warrants are available only to government entities. Search warrants may request the same types of information that could be obtained through a court order or even a subpoena. However, most of the warrants TMUS receives also request historic location information or content. Warrants require a showing of probable cause that a crime has been or is being committed and evidence of the crime will be obtained from the subscriber information sought. A judge must review the application for a search warrant and will issue the warrant only if the government has made the requisite showing under the law.
Emergency Requests
Government entities may request information needed to respond to emergencies such as kidnappings, hostage situations and suicide threats. TMUS is authorized by law to provide the requested information upon the government's certification that such an emergency exists. The certification must be sufficient for TMUS to form a good faith belief that there is an emergency involving danger of death or serious physical injury to any person that requires disclosure without delay of subscriber information relating to the emergency.
Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) may also request release of subscriber information when needed to respond to calls to 9-1-1.
National Security Letters
The Director and certain other designated officials of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) may issue a National Security Letter (“NSL”) requesting information in national security matters. The FBI must certify in writing that the information sought is relevant to an authorized investigation to protect against international terrorism or clandestine intelligence activities. An NSL may request only limited information: name, address, length of service and local and long-distance toll billing records.
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (“FISA”) Orders
The FISA Court is a special court that reviews requests for surveillance in national security cases. FISA orders require providers to facilitate electronic surveillance of an individual's activities via wiretap and/or pen register/trap and trace.
Requests from Foreign Governments
TMUS reviews requests from foreign entities to determine compliance with US law, the law of the jurisdiction making the request and other legal obligations when determining an appropriate response.
Summary of Types and Number of Requests in 2024
Legal Demands
The following table shows the type and the number of legal demands for which TMUS provided a response in 2024.
| Type of Request (excluding National Security Requests) | Number of Requests |
|---|---|
| Subpoenas (criminal, civil and trial) | 237,299 |
| Emergency/911 Requests | 120,763 |
| Court Orders (excluding orders for wiretaps, pen register/trap and trace) | 39,038 |
| Warrants/Search Warrants | 110,732 |
| Other* | 44,602 |
| Pen Register/Trap and Trace Orders | 25,910 |
| Wiretap Orders | 3,124 |
| Customer Requests for their own information** | 923 |
| Requests from Foreign Entities † | 46 |
| TOTAL | 582,391 |
* This may include requests to preserve information pursuant to 18 USC § 2704, requests for T-Mobile information (not customer information), requests pursuant to The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003, and any other request that does not match a category above.
** Does not include Customer Privacy Requests
† Austria (2); Brazil (1); Canada (31); Columbia (1); India (7); Italy (1); Mexico (2); Spain (1).
No Response/Unable to Respond
The table below shows the number of legal demands that 1) received no response at all, and 2) received a written explanation regarding why T-Mobile was unable to respond in whole or in part.
| Description | Number of Responses |
|---|---|
| No Response | 35,049 |
| Unable to Respond | 103,737 |
| TOTAL | 138,786 |
No Response - TMUS will not transmit any written response when a response is not legally required.
Unable to Respond - TMUS will transmit a written “Unable to Respond” notice when it receives a legal demand that it cannot lawfully fulfill or when it does not possess/control all or a portion of the information sought.
Requests for Location Information
The following table shows the number of requests for location information.
| Description | Number of Requests |
|---|---|
| Requests for Historical Cell Site Information (CSLI) | 138,803 |
| Requests for Timing Advance | 103,668 |
| Requests for Prospective Location | 93,238 |
| Requests for Tower Dump | 24,600 |
| Requests for Area Dump | 59,409 |
| TOTAL | 419,718 |
TMUS will release historical location information and prospective location information upon receipt of an appropriate legal demand. (See chart, Page 2). The data above reflects the number of requests for location information received in 2024. These requests were received in connection with the court orders, warrants and emergency requests listed above. (See chart, Page 5). Legal demands frequently authorize release of multiple types of location information.
Historical Cell Site Location Information “CSLI” details the location of the cell tower(s) which carried a particular call or other network transaction. CSLI may be released to the government upon receipt of a search warrant or appropriate emergency request and to non-government requestors upon receipt of a subpoena.
Timing Advance information identifies the estimated historical location of a mobile device, delivered as longitude and latitude coordinates. Timing Advance information is released to the government only after receipt of a search warrant or appropriate emergency request.
Prospective Location information consists of live location information, delivered as longitude and latitude coordinates to a government requestor. It is often referred to as geolocation or real-time GPS data. Prospective location information is released to the government only after receipt of a search warrant or appropriate emergency request.
Tower Dump orders seek information regarding all subscribers and/or roamers whose network transactions are carried by a certain tower or geographic area within a specific date and time. TMUS requires a court order or search warrant before it will release tower dump information to the government.
Area Dump orders seek information regarding subscribers who were near a particular geographic area within a specific date and time. TMUS requires a search warrant or a court order based on probable cause before it will release area dump information to the government.
National Security Requests
The following table sets forth the number of responses to National Security Letters and FISA Orders. The USA Freedom Act of 2015 permits reporting of this information in half year increments, in bands of 500. These requests are not included in any of the above categories.
| National Security Requests | Number of Requests in bands |
|---|---|
| National Security Letters 1st half of 2024 | 0-499 |
| National Security Letters 2nd half of 2024 | 0-499 |
| FISA Orders 1st half of 2024 | 0-499 |
| FISA Orders 2nd half of 2024 | 0-499 |
Cost Recovery and Charges
Federal law permits carriers to be reimbursed for the reasonable costs of providing technical assistance for lawful surveillance activities and for costs incurred in providing stored electronic communications and location information.
Generally, TMUS does not seek reimbursement for the costs incurred in responding to most court orders, subpoenas or emergency requests. 18 USC § 2706(c) permits TMUS to recover the cost of providing otherwise exempt services when provision of such services will cause an undue burden.
More Information
For more information regarding how TMUS collects, uses, discloses and stores customer information, please see our Privacy Notices.
