Federal Communications Commission Approves Rules to Safeguard Domestic Violence Survivors By Improving Access to Safe and Affordable Connectivity

The Federal Communications Commission took action to help domestic violence survivors access safe and affordable communications. These rules, which build on an inquiry the FCC initiated in 2022, follow the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking adopted earlier in 2023 and will implement key provisions in the Safe Connections Act of 2022 to support survivors of domestic abuse and other related crimes. This action will help survivors by requiring mobile providers to separate phone lines linked to family plans where the abuser is on the account; protect the privacy of survivors by requiring providers to omit records of calls and text messages to domestic violence hotlines from consumer-facing call and text message logs; and provide support for survivors who suffer from financial hardship through the FCC’s Lifeline program. The FCC expects carriers to comply with line separations and emergency support requirements by the third quarter of 2024 and anticipates that carriers will have the necessary tools in place to omit records of calls or text messages to hotlines by late 2024 for most providers.