What is it?
This act establishes requirements concerning access to communication services for survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, and related harms. It amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require mobile service providers to separate the line of a survivor of domestic violence and any individuals in the care of the survivor from mobile service contract shared with an abuser within two business days after receiving a request from the survivor. At a survivor’s request a mobile service provider must separate from a share mobile service contract that survivor’s line from the abuser’s line unless separation is operationally or technologically infeasible.
A provider may not charge fees or impose other requirements on such requests. Additionally, a provider must separate the line within two business days of receiving a request, allow requests to be made remotely (if feasible), meet conditions related to confidentiality of, disposal of, and other matters concerning communications about requests, and make information about the process for requests available through consumer-facing communications.
Why is it important?
Access to communication services is important since many survivors may not have direct control over their mobile phone plans. Additionally, having access to an independent phone connection is important for survivors to be able to communicate and access other available services without fear that their communications, location, or other private information being revealed to their abuser.
What is the FCC’s role in the Safe Connections Act 2022?
This bill provides liability protection for providers’ acts or omissions undertaken to comply with such requests and requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to adopt rules for these requests. The FCC must expand access to federally subsidized communication services for survivors facing financial hardship and evaluate this expanded access
What are the updates?
The FCC issued new rules in November 2023 for implementing the Safe Connections Act of 2022.
The first new rule requires mobile providers to separate phone lines linked to family plans where the abuser is on the account. Survivors trying to cut ties with their abusers sometimes have difficulty separating a mobile service line from multi-line shared mobile service plans, particularly when the plan is managed by the abuser. Survivors may also be reluctant to pursue a line separation for fear of retaliation.
The second new rule requires covered providers to ensure the privacy of calls and text messages to domestic abuse hotlines and to remove them from bills and logs to which customers have access. Omitting records of calls and text messages to domestic violence hotlines from consumer-facing bills and logs will support survivors seeking help who might otherwise be deterred by the threat of an abuser accessing call and text logs and determining that the survivor is seeking help, planning to report the abuse, or attempting to flee.
The last rule provides emergency communications support through the Lifeline program for survivors facing financial hardship.
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