Phone bill privacy rules highlight tech hurdles for domestic violence survivors

https://www.emergingtechbrew.com/stories/2023/11/21/fcc-rules-domestic-violence-survivors?mbcid=33 [login to see] 81&mblid=d83c7cd6217d&mid=6d27a837f9117e6445eb5b6722b273a1&utm_campaign=etb&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_source=morning_brew
The Federal Communications Commission has adopted a new set of rules aimed at providing privacy and financial support to people experiencing domestic violence who share a phone plan with their abuser, spotlighting often-overlooked technology barriers for people trying to escape dangerous relationships and living situations.
The agency’s rules, unanimously adopted last week, will require phone carriers to separate survivors’ lines within two business days of a request, waive fees associated with such requests, and block records of communication with help hotlines on account logs. It also creates a path for survivors to receive low-cost phone service through an FCC-administered program for a transitional period of up to six months.