Telephone Records and Privacy Protection Act of 2006
Encyclopedia
The Telephone Records and Privacy Protection Act of 2006 (H109-4709) prohibits pretexting to buy, sell or obtain personal phone records, except when conducted by law enforcement or intelligence agencies. The recent bill threatens up to 10 years in prison
to anyone pretending to be someone else, or otherwise employs fradulant tactics to persuade phone companies to hand over confidential information about their customers.
Before the law was passed, it was only illegal in the United States
to use pretexting to obtain financial records about someone via the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act
. In California, it was already illegal to use pretexting to obtain phone records, but most politician
s and consumer advocacy groups pleaded for a federal bill to be passed. Sale of the fraudulent material was widespread because the possibility of criminal prosecution was non-existent.
The bill was presented to the President on January 3, 2007.
It is likely that the law was passed at least partially in response to the HP pretexting scandal.
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
to anyone pretending to be someone else, or otherwise employs fradulant tactics to persuade phone companies to hand over confidential information about their customers.
Before the law was passed, it was only illegal in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to use pretexting to obtain financial records about someone via the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act
Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act
The Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act , also known as the Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999, is an act of the 106th United States Congress...
. In California, it was already illegal to use pretexting to obtain phone records, but most politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
s and consumer advocacy groups pleaded for a federal bill to be passed. Sale of the fraudulent material was widespread because the possibility of criminal prosecution was non-existent.
The bill was presented to the President on January 3, 2007.
It is likely that the law was passed at least partially in response to the HP pretexting scandal.