Learn About the Phone Privacy Laws and Policies

Phone privacy laws and policies are established and maintained to ensure that the information collected by the telephone companies are safe with them and not misused. There are various communication services and different kinds of service providers. There are local, long-distance, cell phones and VoIP or Voice Over Internet Provider companies which enable you to make long distance and local calls, leave and check voice messages, call forward and divert and many more. To enable service requested by you, they collect customer information to maintain a Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPIN). This helps them provide the customized service and itemized bills for the service provided.

Phone Regulations

Federal Communications Commission or FCC has, thus, imposed certain regulations on these companies to restrict usage of customer information. Also, they need to ensure that the information are not disclosed to others. One of the most common issues faced in case of privacy is pretexting where someone pretends to be the actual customer in order to retrieve calling records. Often the third party data brokers sell the calling records over Internet. This results in score of unwanted calls as well as serious security issues like identity theft. According to the new law passed by the Congress, it is a punishable offense by monetary fine and/or imprisonment of ten years. Producing documents that are fraudulent, to access records without being authorized before, or other fraudulent acts over Internet come under this category of offense.

Both the Congress and FCC have passed a law according to which there are only three circumstances under which your telephone or VoIP company can use, release and/or allow to access your information. These circumstances are (a) if the information is required by law, (b) if request comes with your approval and (c) if you request for a service.

Advantages of Phone Laws and Policies

Your telephone service provider is prohibited by the FCC law to provide your calling or personal information over phone if the caller cannot give the password. In case, you are the genuine caller and have forgotten the password, then the records would be sent to the address provided during registration. For your online account, the service providers must give a secure password. Only a record seeker coming to the office or the store of the telephone company with proper identification can be provided with the calling records over the counter. However, a company can release the information if it the request is made in writing. Also, it is the responsibility of the company to notify the customer immediately if a new password is created or changed.

Your service provider does not need your permission to use your number if it plans to enhance the market of a service that you have already subscribed for. For any other service, it would require your approval. This request can be made verbally, in written or via electronic mail. The details of the phone privacy laws and policies, you can visit the website of Federal Communications Commission at http://www.fcc.gov/cib/consumerfacts/http://www.peoplepublicrecords.org/phoneaboutyou.html. Visit the page to have all your queries about your privacy answered.

Additional Phone Privacy Policy Information:

Telemarketing Sales Rule

Law Enforcement Use of Phone Records

Laws Regulating Autodialers and Robocalls