The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) shouldn’t entertain a proposal...

Reform Network and Privacy Rights Clearinghouse asking the CPUC to review these practices. The CPUC has inappropriate “antiquated privacy regulations,” the petition said (http://xrl.us/bn6iro), noting the CPUC has authority to enact consumer protection regulations. The CPUC should evaluate wireless and wireline privacy practices, create privacy standards for carriers and third parties who gain information from them, keep pace with tech advances and institute “penalty mechanisms with ’teeth,'” petitioners said. But the petition is “procedurally defective” and misleadingly neglects to mention federal oversight rules “that already address the privacy concerns raised by the Petitioners,” CTIA said. Federal Trade Commission and FCC oversight, White House efforts and privacy rules and regulations already exist, as do industry practices and industry-government collaboration on these issues, it said. CTIA also discussed the California Online Privacy Protection Act, which the state’s attorney general began enforcing against mobile app developers in 2012 (CD Nov 2 p12). CTIA described formulating its own guidelines with dozens of entities providing input. “Moreover, wireless carriers no longer control -- or even know -- the third parties that create software and install it on wireless devices,” CTIA told the CPUC. “Due to the openness of the Internet, today’s privacy risks originate from the acts and omissions of entities independent of the carrier-customer relationship.” It scolded the petitioners for citing only “potential” harm and no examples. Consumer Federation Staff Attorney Nicole Blake told us the petitioners plan to reply next Thursday but declined to say more.