Telecommunications Act of 1996

Privacy of Consumer Information
CITATION	47 U.S.C. § 222
ENACTED	1996
SUMMARY	47 U.S.C. § 222 was enacted as part of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and is entitled “Privacy of Consumer Information”. Section 702 of the law provides that “[e]very telecommunications carrier has a duty to protect the confidentiality of proprietary information of, and relating to . . . customers.” The law places restrictions on the use, disclosure of, and access to certain customer information.
DATA COVERED	Proprietary network relating to customers. Limits the use of such information to providing telecommunications services. The law permits the use of aggregate customer information.
INDUSTRY	Telecommunications
PENALTIES	Plaintiff may obtain an injunction, recover actual damages or five hundred dollars ($500) per incident, whichever is greater. If the defendant acted intentionally, the court may award three times the amount of damages.