Senate OKs bill to ban use of deception to obtain phone records

[cal04]

After more than eight months in limbo, a bill that would criminalize the practice of lying to obtain the telephone records of private citizens passed the Senate late Friday.

The Senate approved the anti-pretexting bill by a voice vote. The House passed it in April. It now goes to the White House for approval.

“Stealing someone’s private phone records is a criminal act that can now be prosecuted,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., lead sponsor of the proposal in the Senate. “Phone information and call logs should be protected with the same safeguards as financial data or medical records. ”

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The legislation outlaws the practice of getting confidential phone records by “making false or fraudulent statements” to a phone company employee, by “obtaining false or fraudulent documents to access accounts” or by “accessing customer accounts through the Internet” without authorization.

http://news.bostonherald.com/politics/view.bg?articleid=171236

Senate Approves Anti-Pretexting Bill
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/09/AR2006120900222.html

[Buzz Clik]

1. However, overtly taking all records is still okay for the Feds.