WASHINGTON—After the operators of 26 websites that offer cell-phone records for sale refused to answer a letter sent in February, the House Commerce Committee upped the ante Thursday morning by issuing subpoenas to 12 companies seeking copies of various records including revenue reports and annual tax returns.
The House Commerce Committee began investigating the privacy issue in February and passed a bill outlawing various aspects of the practice March 8. A similar bill has also passed the Senate Commerce Committee. Both bills are waiting for further consideration by lawmakers.
In addition to legislative action, the Federal Communications Commission recently proposed strengthening the protection of customer call records. In February the commission began seeking comment on five specific measures proposed by the Electronic Privacy Information Center on the topic. Although the customer-call-records scandal erupted in early January following a segment aired on the CBS Evening News, EPIC first raised the issue last August. EPIC asked that the FCC implement rules to protect customers’ call records. The wireless industry opposed the EPIC petition.
