Cell Phone Privacy Act

Around the House
Cell Phone Privacy Act
By Senator Barbara Boxer
Jan 3, 2008, 12:37

Increasingly, Americans depend on their cell phones for vital and important calls. Understanding that, Senator Barbara Boxer recently introduced the Wireless 411 Privacy Act, legislation to protect wireless telephone customers from having their cellular phone numbers listed in a national directory without their consent.

Photographer: Ian Britton Courtesy of FreePhoto.com

This bill is good news for consumers because people should have the right to decide who has access to their wireless phone number. There are more than 250 million wireless subscribers in the United States today. Without the protections provided in this bill, the cell phone numbers of countless Americans could be at risk.

Specifically, the bill would prohibit the listing of cell phone numbers in a wireless directory without the subscriber granting permission. The legislation requires cell phone companies to give consumers clear notice on their right not to be listed and prohibits carriers from charging customers for keeping their cell phone numbers private or removing a listed number from the directory. The Wireless 411 Privacy Act would also prohibit companies other than wireless service providers from assembling and publishing directories of private numbers.

Currently, phone customers, including cell phone users can register to have their numbers not receive telemarketing calls at www.donotcall.gov or by calling 1-888-382-1222.