Federal Communications Commission Expands Privacy Protections for Telecom Customers

The Federal Communications Commission now requires telecommunications carriers to alert their customers of data breaches.

Amended for the first time in 16 years, the FCC’s data breach rules give providers a 30-day deadline to notify consumers unless law enforcement requests a delay, The Record reported Thursday. 

Carriers also need to inform the commission in addition to organizations such as the FBI.

A new rule expands breaches to include “inadvertent access, use or disclosure of customer information.”

In a press release, the FCC explained that details about an individual’s private life, including medical conditions and religious beliefs, could be gleaned from phone numbers and other data possessed by telecom providers.

Republican lawmakers have voiced opposition to the FCC’s rule, with Sen. Ted Cruz writing that it defies a 2016 Congress order preventing the commission from expanding privacy restrictions.

The Securities and Exchange Commission recently released a similar reporting requirement for companies that suffer cyber incidents.