The FCC wants to make it harder to buy burner phones, but critics call it a privacy threat

The FCC’s proposed robocall rules are drawing pushback from privacy advocates and survivor support organizations concerned about their potential impact on user safety.

As we recently reported, the FCC is seeking feedback on a proposal that could require wireless carriers to collect significantly more customer information before activating or renewing service. Now, according to a report by Ars Technica, comments submitted in response to that proposal are raising concerns about its potential impact on privacy, safety, and access to communications services.

Belle Torek, a Technology Safety Specialist at the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV), told the FCC that many of the behaviors the agency appears to view as warning signs are, in fact, well-established safety practices for survivors. People fleeing abusive situations often change phone numbers, create new email accounts, use PO boxes, or rely on mail-forwarding services to avoid being tracked.

The Kansas Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence echoed those concerns, arguing that the proposed rules could create additional barriers for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking who may need to quickly establish new communications services while escaping dangerous situations.

One area drawing particular criticism is the FCC’s discussion around whether providers should subject certain types of addresses to greater scrutiny. While those measures are being considered in the context of fraud prevention, advocates argue that they are also commonly used by people trying to protect their safety and privacy.

Opponents argue that scammers often rely on stolen identities, synthetic credentials, compromised accounts, overseas providers, and other tactics that may not be affected by stricter customer verification requirements. In their view, the proposal risks creating more friction for legitimate users while doing little to slow determined bad actors.

For now, the FCC is still gathering feedback before deciding whether to move forward. The deadline for initial comments is June 25, 2026, while reply comments can be submitted until July 27, 2026. Even after the comment period closes, it could take several months before the agency decides whether to adopt the rules. However, if the proposal eventually becomes policy, there may be little consumers can do to avoid the new identification requirements.