AUGUSTA (AP) – Maine’s attorney general has thrown his support behind privacy legislation intended to curb the sale or disclosure of cell-phone records.

“Certainly, consumers have a right to expect that their phone records (will) be kept private,” Steven Rowe said. “Putting this law in place is the best thing we could do.”

State officials remain in the dark about the extent of the problem because it is only recently that vendors have begun collecting and selling cell-phone information online without the consent or even the knowledge of consumers.

Maine is the latest among a growing number of states that have moved to crack down on the practice.

A bill filed by Rep. John Brautigam, D-Falmouth, would make it both a crime and a civil violation to sell or disclose a cell-phone customer’s private information, including who the caller called and where the caller lives. A criminal violation would be punishable by up to $5,000 in fines and up to five years in prison, while a civil offense would cost up to $10,000 per violation.

“One of the most important things we can possibly do (as lawmakers) is to protect consumers,” said Brautigam, noting that potential customers for the information could include stalkers, spouses who suspect infidelity, unscrupulous business executives seeking confidential information or bosses spying on employees.

Sellers obtain records in various ways, such as posing as customers, hacking into online records and getting the information from employees at cell phone companies.

The wireless industry is moving to combat the practice and has filed civil suits against online brokers, said Jeffrey Nelson of Verizon Wireless.

“We don’t believe it is a widespread issue,” said Nelson, whose company prefers pending federal legislation to a state-by-state crackdown. “That does not mean it is not a serious issue,” he said, because cell users are entitled to “a zone of privacy” that protects their records.

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