The FCC is reportedly close to issuing a decision that would modify
current rules governing the use, disclosure of, and access to certain
information related to telephone subscriber calling records. Current
rules require telecommunications carriers to treat this information,
known in the industry as customer proprietary network information
(CPNI), as confidential and to limit its use and disclosure. CPNI is
broadly defined to include information that relates to the quantity,
technical configuration, type, destination, location and amount of use
of a telecommunications service. Generally speaking this includes call
detail records, call volumes, customer account information, billing
information, technical information, service destination, and the
service plans to which a customer subscribes. Following several
high-profile pretexting cases in 2005 which lead to the release of
telephone subscriber records the FCC initiated a proceeding to revisit
the scope and effectiveness of its current CPNI rules.
Although
the FCC has not yet released a decision outlining how it will amend
current CPNI regulations, lobbying and advocacy before the agency has
been particularly heavy in recent weeks. This renewed activity comes as
a result of reports that the FCC will soon adopt an order expanding
current CPNI regulations in several ways. While the details of the new
measure are still being worked out, reports suggest that the draft
order will impose several new obligations on telecommunications
carriers. These obligations include the following:
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