Public Knowledge Gets On The FCC Case Regarding VoIP Privacy.
After reports surfaced that Voipo.com, a California based VOIP provider, exposed millions of consumer call logs and text messages stored on an “improperly secured” ElasticSearch database, perhaps for several months before security researcher Justin Paine located them. According to Mr. Paine, many of the files contained detailed customer call records, including time and date. As we reported earlier.
Public Knowledge demanding that FCC Chairman Pai to enforce existing Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI) rules that protect the privacy of information related to telephone calls. These CPNI rules protect consumers of both facility-based VOIP providers as well as to traditional telephone providers.
“Unfortunately, the general unwillingness of Chairman Pai to protect consumers’ privacy has led to increasing recklessness in the way telecommunications companies protect and treat our personal data. By now these companies know that there are almost no consequences for bad behavior. The FCC seems unwilling to act; Republicans in Congress have already limited the FCC’s privacy authority; and the Federal Trade Commission -- which is now the only agency with authority to investigate text messaging privacy since the FCC declared it an information service last month -- is nowhere to be seen in this space." said Harold Feld, Senior Vice President at Public Knowledge, “To counteract nearly two years of consistent ringing of the dinner bell for carriers to exploit our personal information, Chairman Pai must move immediately to make clear that the agency will enforce its rules and hold companies that fail to adequately protect call records accountable. Failure to do so will make it clear to carriers, Congress and consumers that the supposed ‘cop on the beat’ is asleep at the wheel."
Public Knowledge demanding that FCC Chairman Pai to enforce existing Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI) rules that protect the privacy of information related to telephone calls. These CPNI rules protect consumers of both facility-based VOIP providers as well as to traditional telephone providers.
“Unfortunately, the general unwillingness of Chairman Pai to protect consumers’ privacy has led to increasing recklessness in the way telecommunications companies protect and treat our personal data. By now these companies know that there are almost no consequences for bad behavior. The FCC seems unwilling to act; Republicans in Congress have already limited the FCC’s privacy authority; and the Federal Trade Commission -- which is now the only agency with authority to investigate text messaging privacy since the FCC declared it an information service last month -- is nowhere to be seen in this space." said Harold Feld, Senior Vice President at Public Knowledge, “To counteract nearly two years of consistent ringing of the dinner bell for carriers to exploit our personal information, Chairman Pai must move immediately to make clear that the agency will enforce its rules and hold companies that fail to adequately protect call records accountable. Failure to do so will make it clear to carriers, Congress and consumers that the supposed ‘cop on the beat’ is asleep at the wheel."
