NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] Congress close to final passage of Caller ID (CNID) Spoofing Ban
Congress close to final passage of Caller ID (CNID) Spoofing Ban http://bit.ly/c6XXTa (PCWorld) PCWorld headlined this article as "Caller ID Spoofing Ban is Bad for Business," but I believe that they are being unnecessarily alarmist. CNID spoofing abuse is rampant, and frequently being used in ways that cross the line from "funny" to genuinely harmful. The CNID system was never designed for open manipulation outside the confines of the "trusted" telephone network infrastructure, and I have long called for some action to place sanctions on such abuses. The legislation is very clear that it applies only to "misleading or inaccurate caller ID information, with the intent to defraud or deceive." Those last seven words (quite appropriately, I believe) should exempt legitimate manipulation of CNID by firms and services in ways that are not intended to "defraud or deceive." In particular, PCWorld's suggestion that Google Voice's handling of CNID would be negatively impacted by this legislation strikes me as specious and inaccurate. --Lauren-- NNSquad Moderator