The FCC proposed financial penalties against Alltel and AT&T on accusations of failure to certify they have properly protected customer proprietary network information (CPNI). Each would have to pay a $100,000 “forfeiture” unless it can show it has the required certificates. The FCC also ordered all carriers, wireless and wireline, to submit a copy of their compliance certificates to the Commission by Jan. 6. The actions come with Chmn. Martin expected to testify today (Wed.) at a House Commerce Committee hearing on why phone records aren’t safe from “pretexting.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted to its Web site information on its containerized cargo sealing policy, which took effect on August 8, 2005.
Sprint Nextel Fri. filed a lawsuit in Fla. against the parent company of 4 online data brokers it alleges use “illegal and deceptive practices” to obtain and sell customer call records. The lawsuit, the first by Sprint against a data broker, means all 4 major national carriers have filed such suits. Meanwhile, Senate Commerce Committee announced Fri. it will hold a hearing Feb. 8 in the consumer subcommittee chaired by Sen. Allen (R-Va.) to look more closely at the theft of consumer cellphone records. The House Commerce Committee plans a hearing Feb. 1.
Sprint Nextel Fri. filed a lawsuit in Fla. against the parent company of 4 online data brokers it alleges use “illegal and deceptive practices” to obtain and sell customer call records. The lawsuit, the first by Sprint against a data broker, means all 4 major national carriers have filed such suits. Meanwhile, Senate Commerce Committee announced Fri. it will hold a hearing Feb. 8 in the consumer subcommittee chaired by Sen. Allen (R-Va.) to look more closely at the theft of consumer cellphone records. The House Commerce Committee plans a hearing Feb. 1.
The following are documents which U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) updates frequently (weekly, monthly, etc.). Updates are listed under "What's New" on its Web site:
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a revised informed compliance publication (ICP) entitled, "What Every Member of the Trade Community Should Know About: Gaskets." According to CBP, this revised ICP is a study of the classification of gaskets of differing materials.
ChoicePoint will pay $10 million in a civil penalty and $5 million for a consumer redress fund to settle FTC charges the firm violated federal laws through careless screening and information security procedures. The firm admitted last year that financial records on 145,000 consumers -- now up to 163,000, the FTC estimates -- were compromised by “fraudsters” posing as firms with “permissible purposes” for getting the records (WID March 7 p8). The settlement, the largest in agency history, should warn data brokers and others to “guard the front door… as well as guard the back door” to protect sensitive personal information, or face harsh financial and regulatory consequences, Chmn. Deborah Majoras told a press conference Thurs.
FTC Chmn. Deborah Majoras said it was illegal to obtain cellphone records from telecom firms under false pretenses, known as pretexting, in a press conference Thurs. Meanwhile, the FCC is poised to vote on a cellphone record rulemaking at its Feb. meeting and more legislation is emerging on Capitol Hill.
Cingular said it obtained a restraining order from a federal court in Atlanta, stopping information broker eFindOutTheTruth.com from obtaining and selling customer records. The order specifically prohibits employees of the company from using the name or identity of any Cingular employee or customer for any purpose. “Data brokers should know that Cingular will persist in its aggressive fight to protect customer privacy,” said Joaquin Carbonell, gen. counsel.