FCC Adopts New Rules Restricting Telco Disclosure of Customer Data

Concerns over identity theft and invasion of privacy took another turn recently with the adoption of rules designed to sharply limit the opportunities for pretexting. The new rules should be of interest to individuals, businesses and telephone companies.

"Pretexting" refers to the unauthorized release of call detail or other private information by a communications carrier to one pretending to be the customer of record. Call detail information includes numbers called, the date and time of the call, and its duration. Data like this are classified as a form of "customer proprietary network information" (or "CPNI" in FCC parlance).

Congress acted last year to criminalize pretexting. In recent days, the Federal Communications Commission adopted an additional series of rules applicable to the carriers under its jurisdiction, as well as to voice-over-Internet providers ("VoIP").