WASHINGTON, DC. - US Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., is working with Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens, R-AK, on legislation which will criminalize the practice of fraudulently obtaining and selling cell phone records over the Internet.
Sen. Frist and Chairman Stevens began discussing the need for legislation after investigating reports that consumers' cellular phone records are being fraudulently obtained from wireless carriers and in some cases sold over the Internet:
"The practice of fraudulently obtaining a customer's cell phone records and selling them over the Internet is wrong and must be stopped," Sen. Frist said. "Consumers have a right to expect that this information will be kept private, with very limited exceptions."
"If employees within the wireless companies are improperly disclosing or selling this information, they must be punished," he continued. "If someone impersonates a customer or a law enforcement official for the purpose of obtaining phone records and then profiting from them, we must ensure that they are prosecuted. And anyone selling phone records that they know were obtained under false pretenses must face consequences."
"I intend to work with Senator Stevens, the Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, on legislation to address these disturbing reports in the coming days," Sen. Frist said.