Mich. Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) asked the PSC to investigate whether telecom providers in the state have sold or supplied customer account information to information brokers and other commercial interests without informing customers. She also called for state legislation to prohibit release or sale of customer information without the customer’s consent. Her proposal would make unauthorized release of account information a crime, and would also make it a crime to obtain telecom customer account information from carriers under false pretenses. Carriers also would be required to put safeguards on account information and notify customers of any security breaches or unauthorized information releases.
In November 2005, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a general notice advising Customs brokers that the Triennial Status Report Fee of $100 that is assessed for each license held by a broker whether it may be an individual, partnership, association, or corporation, is due during the month of February 2006 (i.e. by February 28, 2006) along with the corresponding status report.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has again revised its Trade Update for Hurricane Katrina. Among other things, CBP's new Trade Update provides new contact information for certain CBP offices and employees and also contains new information concerning entry summary filing.
National wireless carriers were called to the FCC late Fri. for a meeting in the Enforcement Bureau with bureau and other staffers to discuss safeguards to prevent data brokers -- who often sell their services on the Internet -- from obtaining subscriber cellphone records, sources said. Meanwhile, Chmn. Martin told reporters following Fri.’s agenda meeting the Commission has issued several subpoenas as it investigates how companies obtained mobile-phone records.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has recently posted to its Web site its quarterly report on the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) entitled Report to Congress: The Automated Commercial Environment. This report is dated September 30, 2005 and covers the July 1, 2005 - September 30, 2005 period.
Comrs. Copps and Adelstein Tues. called on the FCC to give immediate attention to regulations requiring phone companies to better protect customer information from being sold by data brokers, the subject of a wave of news reports last week (CD Jan 17 p5). The Electronic Privacy Information Center called on the Commission last summer to protect customer records, but the FCC hasn’t acted on its petition. “The reported abuses highlight the critical need to protect Americans’ personal and private information,” Copps said. “Few rights are so fundamental as the right to privacy in our daily lives, yet few are under such constant attack.” Adelstein said he was “alarmed” by news reports that data brokers “are obtaining and selling customers’ personal telephone records without the customers’ consent or knowledge.” Adelstein also said Congress “recognized the sensitivity of this information” when it approved the Telecom Act of 1996, which prohibited phone companies from “using or disclosing certain proprietary customer information without the customer’s approval.” Adelstein worked on the act as an aide to former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.).
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted a summary of changes to the Automated Export System Trade Interface Requirements (AESTIR) on its Web site, indicating that Version 1.0 was changed or features were added or deleted on January 11, 2006 as follows:
In November 2005, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a notice announcing that the 2006 annual $125 user fee that is assessed for each Customs broker permit and national permit held by an individual, partnership, association, or corporation is due by January 20, 2006.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted to its Web site its answers to questions submitted by the trade community at its November 2005 Trade Symposium.
The Washington Post reports that China has resolved to shift some of its foreign exchange reserves away from the U.S. dollar and into other world currencies in a move likely to push down the value of the greenback. The article states that the new policy reflects China's fears that too much of its savings is tied up with the dollar. (WP, 01/10/06 www.washingtonpost.com )