The FCC is pushing new Know Your Customer regulations that would require phone providers to collect identity information from all users. Under the guise of stopping robocalls, the agency wants carriers to verify names, addresses, government IDs, and alternate phone numbers before activating service. This approach treats basic telecommunications as a privilege requiring identity proof.

On April 30, 2026, the FCC adopted a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking stronger KYC rules. The proposal extends to prepaid services, potentially eliminating anonymous burner phones that domestic violence survivors, journalists, and privacy-conscious users rely on. Jay Stanley of the ACLU warned these rules could harm low-income people and anyone valuing privacy, noting that anonymous communication isn't inherently suspicious.

The plan includes retaining customer data for four years after service ends and imposing a $2,500 per-call penalty for violations. This creates perverse incentives for providers to over-verify users rather than protect privacy. The FCC even contemplates consulting terrorist watchlists to screen customers, raising due process concerns for law-abiding citizens.

History shows KYC requirements fail against determined criminals while exposing ordinary users to data breaches. The author argues regulators should target illegal call infrastructure and negligent providers instead of surveilling all phone users. Making everyone prove their identity to communicate fundamentally transforms the telephone system from open network to government-controlled chokepoint.