WASHINGTON D.C. — Today, TechFreedom joined a coalition of consumer rights, human rights and civil liberties organizations in calling on the Federal Communications Commission to repeal a rule requiring phone companies to retain telephone call records for 18 months.

The letter, led by the Electronic Privacy Information Center, concludes:

The mandatory retention of call toll records under Section 42.6 violates the fundamental right to privacy. It exposes consumers to data breaches, stifles innovation, and reduces market competition. It is outdated and ineffective. It is not necessary or proportionate for a democratic society.

“Telephone service providers are in a much better position than the FCC to decide what call data is worth storing and for how long,” said Berin Szoka, President of TechFreedom. “By imposing a one-size-fits-all retention model on telcos, the FCC has eliminated any incentive for these companies to compete on privacy and develop more cost-efficient recordkeeping systems. The FCC’s data retention mandate is outdated and ineffective for law enforcement. It’s long past time the Commission repeal this mandate.”

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We can be reached for comment at media@techfreedom.org. See more of our work on data retention, including:

  • Coalition letter opposing data retention mandates on the private sector
  • “Senate Refuses to Poison the USA FREEDOM Act,” a statement from TechFreedom

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