FCC to Require Carriers to Protect Customer Device Data
Jun 27, 2013, 12:13 PM by Eric M. Zeman
The Federal Communications Commission today adopted a Declaratory Ruling that says wireless network operators are responsible for protecting any customer proprietary network information (CPNI) that may reside on customers' devices. Carriers already protect this information as it transits their networks. Today's ruling means that the CPNI data that is stored on end-user devices must also be protected. CPNI data includes call logs, call locations, and call durations. Carriers collect this information in order to help maintain and improve their networks. The Declaratory Ruling doesn't apply to third-party apps or services that might be downloaded/installed on end-user devices. It also doesn't change how carriers collect the information, nor how they use it. The FCC said it can and will take action against carriers that fail to properly secure such customer data.