Customer Proprietary Network Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission

Section 222 of the Communications Act of 1934 establishes the duty of telecommunications carriers to protect the confidentiality of its customers’ proprietary information. This Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI) includes personally identifiable information derived from a customer’s relationship with a provider of telecommunications services. These regulations impose safeguards to protect customers’ CPNI against unauthorized access and disclosure. In March 2007, the Commission adopted new rules that focused on the efforts of providers of telecommunications services to prevent pretexting. These rules require providers of telecommunications services to adopt additional privacy safeguards that, the Commission believes, will limit pretexters’ ability to obtain unauthorized access to the type of personal customer information from carriers that the Commission regulates. In addition, in furtherance of the Telephone Records and Privacy Protection Act of 2006, the Commission’s rules help ensure that law enforcement will have necessary tools to investigate and enforce prohibitions on illegal access to customer records.

The FCC now invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collections. Comments are requested concerning: Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of FCC functions, including whether the information shall have practical utility; the accuracy of the FCC’s burden estimate; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and ways to further reduce the information collection burden on small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees.

Written comments should be submitted on or before October 19, 2020