SIM Swapping Item Has Changes Over Draft

The FCC’s draft order and Further NPRM protecting consumers from SIM swapping and port-out fraud saw several changes on its way to approval by commissioners last week (see 2311150042), according to our side-by-side analysis. The item was posted in Friday’s Daily Digest. Changes mostly rejected wireless groups' requests for adjustments. FCC officials clarified after the meeting the adopted item had the same implementation dates as proposed in the draft, despite concerns raised by the Competitive Carriers Association and those of CTIA that it will be difficult to meet a six-month implementation time frame (see 2311130040). “We conclude that providing six months after the effective date of the Report and Order to implement these revisions to our [customer proprietary network information] and number porting rules strikes the right balance between time for wireless providers to implement these changes and accounting for the urgency of safeguarding customers from these fraudulent schemes” and that the time frame is “consistent with other proceedings and regulatory frameworks adopted by the Commission where consumer protection and numbering requirements were at issue,” the order said. “We decline, at this time, to adopt a requirement that wireless providers immediately notify customers in the event of multiple failed authentication attempts in connection with SIM change requests,” the final item said, in added language: The final order also rejects a CTIA request that providers can use other data for verification “when customers are traveling and may not have access to or remember a PIN.” Commissioners found “such an exception would establish a significant loophole for fraudulent activity and note that in these circumstances, customers can use alternative methods of authentication, such as email.” Comment deadlines on the FNPRM will come in a Federal Register notice.