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The Federal Communications Commission is preparing to begin forcing the nation’s telecommunications companies to collect the names, addresses and government identification numbers of every cellphone customer.
If adopted — a likely outcome given the current Republican majority on the FCC that supports it — Rules It would effectively ban feature phones, which are devices that are not specifically linked to metadata, allowing Concerned about privacy To maintain anonymity.
This proposal is called “Know Your Customer Requirements,” and the FCC is drafting it as a way to Stop robocalls And scammers. Anyone with a phone can tell you the problem is very real: American consumers are getting average 10 unwanted calls every weekIt is a number that has been growing at a compound rate of 16% every year since 2023.
But privacy experts say the FCC’s solution doesn’t address the underlying problem. Instead, it punishes those who use mobile phones, including journalists, travelersAnd whistleblowers Survivors of domestic violence.
“Collecting all this data is terrible for everyone’s privacy,” says Zhao Jun Liu, a senior legislative staff member at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit that advocates for digital privacy. “You have to ask, do you trust the government to have this information at this moment in time? A government that has proven itself to be trying to centralize your information and use it as a weapon.”
Who will remain disconnected?
Although traditional phones or devices are often associated with criminal activity, they are also used by a wide range of privacy-conscious people who do not want to be tracked. Rules proposed by the FCC would ban their use entirely, and require “new and renewing” customers to provide identifying information.
“For decades, civil libertarians have looked abroad at authoritarian states where the government requires people to register for a cell phone to ensure they can be tracked. We never thought this would happen here,” Jay Stanley, senior policy analyst at the ACLU, told CNET in an email.
And it’s not just the digital privacy community that will feel the impact. By requiring a government-issued identification number, KYC requirements could leave millions of Americans unable to get a phone at all. As of 2024, approximately 21 million voting-age U.S. citizens do not have a valid driver’s license, with Black and Latino Americans disproportionately likely to obtain a driver’s license. According to a report From the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement. last 12 million people It is estimated that those living in the United States are illegal immigrants.
“What this rulemaking will do, if implemented as it is, is segregate people, especially people who are already most marginalized,” Liu says.
Can the telecom company be trusted with your data?
Digital privacy advocates argue that telecommunications companies have not proven their ability to manage sensitive data well. A 2019 achieved by motherboard I found that it was very easy to purchase real-time location data associated with cell phone numbers. It is often purchased by property managers and bail bondsmen through companies called location aggregators, but the data can also be sold on the black market. (EFF He filed a lawsuit against AT&T Despite this practice, the case was ultimately dismissed.)
In 2024, A.J A wave of cyber attacks Attacks linked to the Chinese government targeted US internet service providers such as AT&T, Verizon, and Lumen, accessing the call logs of tens of millions of Americans.
“Every two years, there’s a new data breach, where the data of 70 million or 100 million American consumers is exposed,” Liu says. “These are the people we trust to collect, retain and retain information.”
The FCC did not respond to CNET’s request for comment.
The rules are open for public comment until June 25, after which the FCC will have about a month to respond. The FCC is not expected to vote on the proposed rules until several months later. You can submit your comment online Through the FCC portal. With the following information:
- Actions: 17-59
- Deposit type: Comment
- Blogger address required
You can find Instructions for submitting comments are herebesides Some examples of comments that have been presented so far.
A says. “I strongly oppose any regulation that requires identification or papers to use cell phones.” Comment submitted by Jessica N. Smith. “A scammer may try to steal my information, but that certainly doesn’t justify the federal government stealing it.”
| feature | Current status | FCC Proposed Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Access to the phone | Users can purchase and use feature phones anonymously. | The use of traditional telephones is effectively prohibited by requiring ID for new/renewing customers. |
| Data collection | Minimum or optional collection depending on provider and type of service. | Requires collection of name, physical address and government ID of all customers. |
| Primary goal | Varies depending on provider and user preferences. | It was developed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as a strategy to combat robocalls. |
| Privacy Impact | Users can maintain anonymity. | Users must provide the information or lose access to the phone. |
| Equity effect | It can be accessed by most users, including those who do not have standard IDs. | Risking the segregation of marginalized groups, including those without driver’s licenses or undocumented immigrants. |
What privacy-conscious users can do
The rules proposed by the FCC are comprehensive, and there may not be much users can do to remain anonymous if they are adopted.
“The main risk of the proposed system is that there won’t be much that individuals can do to maintain their privacy,” Liu says. “It’s either a fork in all your private information or there’s no phone number.”
While every phone used in the United States will be linked to a name, physical address, and government identification number, there are other steps you can take to enhance your privacy. Here’s what privacy experts recommend:
- Encrypt your data: When you use encryption, anyone trying to access your data will need your device and password in order to get it. You can play it Advanced data protection On iPhone devices by following some simple steps in your phone settings. Full disk encryption options On Android phones it can be found in the “Security” settings.
- Download a privacy-focused messaging app: It offers encrypted messaging apps like Signal, Telegram, and WhatsApp End-to-end encryption on all messages, but each has its own privacy protections. You can read more about their policies at CNET comparison.
- Use a VPN: VPN services Encrypts your traffic as it passes through a remote server, hiding your public data IP address So apps and websites see that your web traffic is coming from a different location. This can limit your exposure in the event of a cyber attack on telecom companies.
- Turn off location tracking for apps: Every iPhone allows you to do this Opt out of cross-app tracking With one key. You can also turn off location tracking with the same settings. Android users can turn off location tracking by going to Settings > Location and turning off Use Location.
- Use two separate phones: This method essentially segments your activities by turning one phone into a shortened version for specific uses at work or travel. This way, even if it’s linked to your name, you won’t be signed in to email or apps that contain sensitive information.
