The FCC has proposed mandatory collection of customer IDs for all cellphone customers. The move, designed to counter "burner" phones, has caused outrage among privacy campaigners.

The proposals are to change the existing "Know Your Customer" rules. These broadly say cellphone service providers should know the identities of their customers and make sure they aren't using phone services illegally. The rules are mainly designed to make it harder to carry out robocall scams with automated dialing that make constant calls which can be unwanted or actively misleading.

Now the FCC says too many businesses are doing too little to follow the rules in spirit or letter. They are consulting on proposals to significantly tighten the rules. (Source: federalregister.gov)

Strict New ID Requirements

In the most extreme version of the proposals, phone providers would need to get a name, address and government ID for all customers, both when they start service and whenever they renew or modify a service. They will also need to keep these records for at least four years after somebody stops being a customer.

Other changes would only apply to high-volume customers, for example those using a number for business. They'd have to provide details of what they planned to use the number for, and any IP addresses they'd use for automated calls.

Privacy Backlash & Enforcement

Critics of the proposals argue that gathering such information isn't just an invasion of privacy in itself but threatens those who need to use a phone anonymously for legitimate reasons. This could include whistleblowers uncovering corruption, or people who might be targeted by law enforcement for political rather than criminal reasons.

The FCC hasn't quite ironed out the details of enforcing the rules. One suggestion is to have fines which vary depending on how many calls are made from a phone where the provider hasn't collected the necessary details.

It's also exploring whether the rules and how they are applied should vary depending on whether the customer pays for service upfront (for example prepaid credit, which is more common with a 'burner' phone) or has an ongoing service plan. (Source: consumerfinancialserviceslawmonitor.com)

What's Your Opinion?

Do you think mandatory IDs for cellphones will actually stop robocalls? Are you concerned about the privacy implications of these new FCC rules? Should there be exceptions for people who need to remain anonymous for legitimate safety or political reasons?