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     Legal Resources    Trust and Safety    Trust and Safety FAQs

 

Trust and Safety FAQs

Welcome to the Trust and Safety Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page. For your convenience, Trust and Safety FAQs are separated into different sections to address the unique needs of Customers, Law Enforcement Agencies, and Third-Party Requestors, as well as a section for General FAQs.

Select a topic to view relevant questions and answers

General FAQs

What are the fees, if any, for Trust & Safety assistance?

Brightspeed charges fees for the collection of data simply to cover the cost of complying with court orders, subpoenas or other legal demands. Most of the fees charged do not compensate Brightspeed for the total cost of compliance. Applicable fees may apply.

What are the Trust & Safety team's hours of operation?

Brightspeed's Trust & Safety team's normal hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm Eastern time, excluding holidays. We can be reached at 704.314.2390 or via email at fraud@brightspeed.com.

 

After hours support is only available for Exigent Circumstances to address an imminent situation that is likely to cause immediate physical harm to a person, destruction of evidence, or the escape of a felony criminal suspect. Exigent Circumstance requests may only be submitted by an authorized employee of a U.S. law enforcement agency and will be evaluated for imminency after the employee’s identity and the request’s validity has been verified with the agency. Demand letters should be emailed to subpoena@brightspeed.com or faxed to 833-356-2345.

No, Brightspeed can neither provide more information about a subpoena itself nor provide legal advice to you regarding any objections or questions you may have. Please consult with an attorney for legal assistance.

How can I find out about the status of a subpoena?

To determine the status of a subpoena, please call 704-314-2390 and follow the menu options or email us at: subpoena@brightspeed.com.

Please be prepared to include your name, a call back number, and a Brightspeed case number if available. We will respond within 1 business day.

What is the Digital Millennium Copyright Act or DMCA?

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which is also known as the DMCA, was enacted by Congress in 1998 to help service providers (like Brightspeed) and copyright owners deal with some of the legal challenges created by digital media on the Internet. Among other things, the DMCA established guidelines and processes for copyright owners to send notices of alleged copyright violations to service providers. The notice identifies a particular copyright offense that is alleged to have occurred, the date and time of the activity, and the internet protocol (IP) address of the network or system on which the activity occurred. Access the U.S. Copyright Office's summary of the DMCA.

What is the difference between a DMCA notice and notification of a copyright subpoena?

A DMCA notice is provided for informational purposes only when Brightspeed is advised under the DMCA customers may have violated established guidelines. Under a DMCA notice none of your personal information will be released to a third party.

When you receive a notification of a subpoena from Brightspeed, it means that your subscriber information has been requested in a civil lawsuit and that Brightspeed is required to release that information if you do not file an objection with the court.

Does Brightspeed track internet content?

Brightspeed uses information generated on our networks to manage, plan, and develop networks, and to ensure reliability and efficiency of those networks. For example, we monitor data to check for viruses, control spam, prevent attacks that might disable our services, ensure traffic does not violate our subscriber agreements or our acceptable use policies, and guard against other inappropriate or illegal activity. This may involve looking at the characteristics of our network traffic, such as traffic volumes, beginning and ending points of transmissions, and the types of applications being used to send traffic across our network.

In limited circumstances, we need to look into the content of the data (such as the specific websites being visited, files being transmitted, or applications being used) for the purposes described above. We may also look into the content of the data when Brightspeed is concerned about fraud or harassment, to repair a detected problem, or when we are providing the content of broadband traffic to Law Enforcement when required and authorized by law.

Most of the specific information we obtain that is attributable to a user is kept only for a matter of hours or days. We may retain data for longer if, for example, we see patterns in the traffic that give us concerns about potential harm to our network, or if we are doing a specific study on the impact of certain applications used on our networks. We also may retain logs of the total amount of data transmitted, and the date, time, and duration of access to the Internet through our services by a user, including the user's IP address at the time.

For more information, visit Brightspeed’s Privacy Notice.

If I know the IP Address, how do I find the Internet Service Provider?

You can access the American Registry of Internet Numbers (ARIN) website to identify the Internet Service Provider of an IP address. Use the “Search WHOISRWS” function located on the top of ARIN's home page.

ARIN is not maintained by Brightspeed. Brightspeed cannot ensure the accuracy of the results provided by ARIN.

How do I find the Service Provider for a telephone number?

Telcodata is a website that will locate the name of the Telecommunication Service Provider when provided with an area code and prefix. This site will also break down the area code and prefix on "pooled numbers" which are numbers split between several different service providers. For example, 720-287 is pooled between 4 different service providers. Telcodata will show which Service Provider handles each pooled set of numbers.

Telcodata is not maintained by Brightspeed. Brightspeed cannot ensure the accuracy of the results provided by Telcodata.

Who do I call if I received a call from a missing person?

Always contact your local Law Enforcement Agency and they will contact Brightspeed for assistance. In addition to contacting Law Enforcement, you may consider reviewing the FAQ on our Call Trace feature.

How can I contact the Trust & Safety team if I still have questions?

If you have a question, please call 704-314-2390, and listen to the options presented. You will have to leave a message with your name, contact number, and reason for calling. Also include as much detailed information as possible, such as a Brightspeed case number or telephone number of interest, so we may quickly address your concerns. You may also email us at: fraud@brightspeed.com. A team member will respond within 1 business day.

Where do I report a damage incident related to Brightspeed services?

UNIcall, 833-692-7773 Option 4 and then Option 2, is the risk incident notification network for Brightspeed. UNIcall may be used by customers in the following circumstances:

  • Report damage to a customer's property.
  • Report damage caused by the public to Brightspeed's property including: phone lines, poles, cables, boxes, facilities.

Agency FAQs

How do I submit an Exigent Circumstance request?

Please call Brightspeed’s Security Response Center (SRC) at 833-363-2516. You may also call the SRC at 833-365-3220, option 1, then option 3, then option 1 for Exigent Circumstance. Misuse of this emergency call option will not expedite non-exigent responses and could jeopardize other emergency caller assistance. Exigent Circumstance requests must meet the following criteria:

 

  • The requested information is needed to prevent immediate physical harm, destruction of evidence, or the escape of a convicted felon.
  • The information requested is specific enough to allow verbal reply from Brightspeed.
  • If information requested is not within the last 24 hours, a court order or subpoena may be required.

 

Exigent Circumstance requests may only be submitted by an authorized employee of a U.S. law enforcement agency and will be evaluated for imminency after the employee’s identity and the request’s validity has been verified with the agency. Please note that findings may take an hour or more to research as multiple teams may be involved. If your request is accepted, Brightspeed will provide the most accurate information as soon as possible, however complete information may not be available until the next business day.

What kinds of records are available to law enforcement?

Bill Statements 

Brightspeed will only provide copies of a customer's bill statements with a subpoena, court order, or other legal demand specifically requesting this information. Applicable fees may apply.

Call Trace Results (*57) 

*57 can be used at any time but will only trace the last incoming call. A successful *57 trace means that Brightspeed captured a 10-digit phone number. Please note that there is no guarantee that the 10-digit phone number is a valid working phone number (for example, 000-000-0000). Unsuccessful traces indicate that Brightspeed did not capture a 10-digit phone number. Customers are advised to contact their local Law Enforcement Agency once the call is traced. The trace results will only be released with a subpoena, court order, or other legal demand. A successful trace will include the phone number captured and if that number is serviced by Brightspeed, the name and address of the subscriber will be released. If Law Enforcement has any questions regarding this process, please call the Brightspeed Trust & Safety team at 877-451-1980. You may also email us at: lawenforcementsupport@Brightspeed.com. A team member will respond within 1 business day.

Internet Protocol (IP) Subscriber Information 

Internet Protocol information may include the name, address, associated phone number, user ID and time logs of the assigned Brightspeed customer. Brightspeed cannot process requests for IP subscriber information without being provided an exact date, time and time zone. Please note that no information will be released without a subpoena, court order, or other legal demand specifically requesting this information. Applicable fees may apply

Local Call Detail 

Brightspeed customers are charged for dial tone, not per call; therefore, local call detail will not appear on their bill.

Records of local calls are not maintained in the normal course of business. To attempt to retrieve local call detail, Brightspeed must perform an extensive search of raw switch data and then attempt to assemble the relevant data into a report that can be understood by the requesting party. There is no guarantee that any particular local call record will be obtained. Applicable fees may apply to any requesting party, including Law Enforcement agencies because this is data that is not maintained in the normal course of Brightspeed's business. No information will be released without a subpoena, court order, or other legal demand specifically requesting this information.  

Pay Phone Records 

Brightspeed is a re-biller of payphone services. We can provide the location of a payphone without a subpoena since that is public knowledge.

Brightspeed can only provide call detail records on a payphone with a subpoena, court order, or other legal demand and only if it is on Brightspeed's network.

To attempt to retrieve call detail, Brightspeed must perform an extensive search. There is no guarantee that any particular call record will be obtained. Applicable fees may apply to any requesting party, including Law Enforcement agencies. 

Payment 

Payment information may include records of bank, credit card or electronic fund transfer payments. Please note that no information will be released without a subpoena, court order, or other legal demand specifically requesting this information. Applicable fees may apply

Subscriber 

Subscriber, or customer, information may include customer name, physical address and billing address. Please note that no information will be released without a subpoena, court order, or other legal demand specifically requesting this information. Applicable fees may apply

Toll / Long Distance Call Detail 

An itemized list of outgoing toll/long distance calls, incoming collect calls, calling cards or third party billed calls may be available on a billing statement. If a customer has an unlimited long distance plan, an itemized list may not appear on the billing statement. Prior to billing, Brightspeed may not be able to provide all information that will ultimately appear on the customer's billing statement. No information will be released without a subpoena, court order, or other legal demand specifically requesting this information. Applicable fees may apply

Voice Messaging 

Access to a Brightspeed customer's voice mail messages requires a search warrant or court order. Brightspeed cannot retrieve voice-mail messages once the customer deletes the message, or once the customer's service has been disconnected.

Where do I report a damage incident related to Brightspeed services?

UNIcall, 833-692-7773 Option 4 and then Option 2, is the risk incident notification network for Brightspeed. UNIcall may be used by Law Enforcement, Government Agencies and Customers in the following circumstances:

  • Report damage to a customer's property
  • Report damage caused by the public to Brightspeed's property including phone lines, poles, cables, boxes, facilities
  • Government agency requests to conduct a regulatory inspection of Brightspeed property
  • Government agency requests for hazardous material emergency planning information

Who can I contact about identity theft or fraud related to a Brightspeed service?

The Brightspeed Fraud Management Operations Center is committed to eliminating revenue losses due to fraud through investigation, education, and policy enforcement, acting ethically and with integrity. The fraud team aggressively researches solutions to emerging fraud trends by determining the root cause and implementing preventative measures affecting process and/or policy changes.

If you are a Law Enforcement Agency in need of assistance related to Brightspeed Services, please call the Brightspeed UNICall hotline at 704-314-2390.

You can also email the fraud organization at: fraud@Brightspeed.com.

Third-Party FAQs

Where do I send a legal demand?

All subpoenas issued in civil cases must be served on Brightspeed's registered agent for service of process, CT Corporation. CT Corporation is authorized to accept subpoenas on behalf of any Brightspeed entity registered to do business by the secretaries of state. You may visit your Secretary of State website for more information. You may also contact CT Corporation at 1-800-624-0909 or visit the CT Corporation website.

PLEASE NOTE: CT Corporation cannot provide any information other than how to submit a subpoena. If you have any other question or concerns, please contact the Brightspeed Law Enforcement team at 704-314-2390, or email: subpoena@brightspeed.com.

What kinds of records are available to a third party?

Bill Statements 

Brightspeed will only provide copies of a customer's bill statements to a third party with a subpoena, court order, or other legal demand specifically requesting this information. Applicable fees may apply

Call Trace Results (*57) 

Once a call is traced using the *57 feature, contact local Law Enforcement. The trace results will only be released to a law enforcement agency with a subpoena, court order, or other legal demand. A successful trace will include the phone number captured and if that phone number is serviced by Brightspeed, the name and address of the subscriber will be released. If your Law Enforcement Agency has any questions regarding this process, please have them call the Brightspeed Trust & Safety team at 704-314-2390. You may also email us at: subpoena@brightspeed.com.

Internet Protocol (IP) Subscriber Information

Internet Protocol information may include the name, address, associated phone number, user ID and time logs of the assigned Brightspeed customer. Brightspeed cannot process requests for IP subscriber information without being provided an exact date, time and time zone. Please note that no information will be released without a subpoena, court order, or other legal demand specifically requesting this information. Applicable fees may apply

Local Call Detail 

Brightspeed customers are charged for dial tone, not per call; therefore local call detail will not appear on their bill.

Records of local calls are not maintained in the normal course of business. To attempt to retrieve local call detail, Brightspeed must perform an extensive search of raw switch data and then attempt to assemble the relevant data into a report that can be understood by the requesting party. There is no guarantee that any particular local call record will be obtained. Applicable fees may apply to any requesting party, including Law Enforcement agencies, because this is data that is not maintained in the normal course of Brightspeed's business. No information will be released without a subpoena, court order, or other legal demand specifically requesting this information. 

Pay Phone Records 

Brightspeed is a rebiller of payphone services. We can provide the location of a payphone without a subpoena since that is public knowledge.
Brightspeed can only provide call detail records on a payphone with a subpoena, court order, or other legal demand and only if it is on Brightspeed's network.
To attempt to retrieve call detail, Brightspeed must perform an extensive search. There is no guarantee that any particular call record will be obtained.
Applicable fees may apply to any requesting party, including Law Enforcement agencies. 

Payment 

Payment information may include records of bank, credit card or electronic fund transfer payments. Please note that no information will be released without a subpoena, court order, or other legal demand specifically requesting this information. Applicable fees may apply.

Subscriber

Subscriber, or customer, information may include customer name, physical address and billing address. Please note that no information will be released without a subpoena, court order, or other legal demand specifically requesting this information. Applicable fees may apply

Toll / Long Distance Call Detail 

An itemized list of outgoing toll/long distance calls, incoming collect calls, calling cards or third party billed calls may be available on a billing statement. If a customer has an unlimited long distance plan, an itemized list may not appear on the billing statement. Prior to billing, Brightspeed may not be able to provide all information that will ultimately appear on the customer's billing statement. No information will be released without a subpoena, court order, or other legal demand specifically requesting this information. Applicable fees may apply

Voice Messaging 

Access to a Brightspeed customer's voice mail messages requires a search warrant or court order. Brightspeed cannot retrieve voice mail messages once the customer deletes the message, or once the customer's service has been disconnected.

What time frames are various records available to a third party?

Generally, Brightspeed's data retention guidelines are as follows, although these guidelines are subject to multiple conditions:

  • Billing Systems data - 6 years plus current year.
  • Call Detail records - 1 year minimum.
  • Internet IP Address information - Rolling 12 months.
  • Long Distance billing records - 6 years plus current year.
  • Voice Messages - Current messages are available based on certain dependencies for example, if account has not been disconnected, or the message has not been deleted.

What kinds of legal processes are there that would request customer information from Brightspeed?

Civil Subpoena 

A Civil Subpoena is a discovery request for information used in civil proceedings between private parties. Civil subpoenas may be issued by the attorneys representing the parties in the case. Although there is no legal obligation, it is Brightspeed's general practice to provide notice to its customers of any civil subpoena requesting the customer's information in order to provide the customer with an opportunity to file an objection in the court where the civil case is filed. 

Criminal Subpoena/Search Warrant 

A Criminal Subpoena, or Search Warrant, is a discovery request for information in criminal investigations or formal proceedings. Most criminal subpoenas/search warrants are signed off on by a judge after a review of the law enforcement agency's application. A court case does not have to be filed prior to the issuance of an investigative subpoena or search warrant. Often, an investigatory subpoena will contain an order that the customer cannot be notified of the request for information. 

Court Order 

A Court Order is an order issued by a judge presiding over a civil or criminal case demanding information be released to the court. Court orders are required for the release of the "content" (for example, information contained in emails or web site visits, wiretaps, etc.) of a customer's communication.

Who can I contact about identity theft or fraud related to a Brightspeed service?

The Brightspeed Fraud Management Operations Center is committed to eliminating revenue losses due to fraud through investigation, education, and policy enforcement, acting ethically and with integrity. The fraud team aggressively researches solutions to emerging fraud trends by determining the root cause and implementing preventative measures affecting process and/or policy changes.

If you are a Law Enforcement Agency in need of assistance related to Brightspeed Services, please call the Brightspeed UNICall hotline at 704-314-2390.

You can also email the fraud organization at: fraud@Brightspeed.com.

Customer FAQs

Who do I contact if I want to report threatening, abusive, or obscene calls?

Always contact your local Law Enforcement Agency and they will contact Brightspeed for assistance.

In addition to contacting Law Enforcement, you may consider Brightspeed's Call Trace feature.

The *57 feature can be used at any time but will only trace the last incoming call. There is no required amount of time that the caller needs to be on the line; there simply needs to be a connection made.

To trace a call, hang up from the call. Pick the phone back up and be sure to obtain a clear dial tone. Dial *57 and listen to the recorded information provided. The recording will not provide the calling party's phone number; it will only indicate whether or not you've had a successful trace.

If you hear a fast busy instead of a recording, please speak with a Brightspeed customer service representative to check the availability of the Call Trace feature. Business Office numbers can be found on your Brightspeed bill.

There is a per use fee applied when you successfully trace a call. Fees vary per state. Please contact the Business Office for more information on rates. If the trace was not successful, there is no charge.

The Call Trace feature will also trace calls that are intentionally being blocked by the caller. That means that Private, Blocked or Restricted calls can be traced. Unknown, Unavailable or Out of Area calls cannot be traced.

Once you have traced the call, contact your local Law Enforcement Agency. The trace results will only be released to a Law Enforcement Agency with a subpoena or court order. A successful trace will include the phone number captured and if that phone number is serviced by Brightspeed, the name and address will be released. If your Law Enforcement Agency has any questions regarding this process, please have them call the Brightspeed Trust & Safety team at 704-314-2390, or have them email: subpoena@brightspeed.com.

What can I do about hang up calls?

Hang up calls are often from telemarketers with auto dialing devices that sometimes call more numbers than they have operators available. Calls may be received between 7am and 9pm, 7 days a week. It is not unusual to receive three to five calls per day.

The best way to stop those calls is to register your phone number on the Federal Trade Commission's National Do Not Call Registry. Federal Do Not Call laws allow you to place residential landline and wireless phone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry to prevent telemarketing calls to those numbers. If you would like to add your numbers to this list, you may do so by calling 1-888-382-1222, or by visiting www.donotcall.gov. Some states provide their own Do Not Call List. Please contact your State Attorney General for details.

Please note that being on a federal or state Do Not Call list will not keep Brightspeed customers from receiving our marketing calls because we have an established business relationship with our customers.

Residential customers who do not want to receive our marketing telephone calls may ask to be placed on our internal Do Not Call list. If a current Brightspeed customer does not want to receive our marketing calls, the customer must expressly tell us not to call by getting on our internal Do Not Call list. You can also contact the Business Office number found on your Brightspeed bill.

It may take up to thirty days for your choices regarding marketing contacts to become effective. If you are our customer, you will still receive bills, service-related contacts and notices from Brightspeed even if you choose not to receive marketing contacts.

Who do I call to stop telemarketing calls?

Federal Do Not Call laws allow you to place residential landline and wireless phone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry to prevent telemarketing calls to those numbers. If you would like to add your numbers to this list, you may do so by calling 1-888-382-1222, or by visiting www.donotcall.gov.

Please note that being on a federal or state Do Not Call list will not keep Brightspeed customers from receiving our marketing calls because we have an established business relationship with our customers.

Residential customers who do not want to receive Brightspeed marketing telephone calls may ask to be placed on our internal Do Not Call list. If a current Brightspeed customer does not want to receive our marketing calls, the customer must expressly tell us not to call by getting on our internal Do Not Call list. You can also contact the Business Office number found on your Brightspeed bill.

It may take up to thirty days for your choices regarding marketing contacts from Brightspeed to become effective. If you are our customer, you will still receive bills, service-related contacts and notices from Brightspeed even if you choose not to receive marketing contacts.

What can I do about debt collection calls?

If you are wrongfully receiving debt collection calls, please contact the Federal Trade Commission's Fair Debt Collection Department at 877-382-4357.

Can I block callers?

Call blocking is a feature that may be placed on your telephone number. The Brightspeed Trust & Safety team is not able to add features. Call blocking is not available in all areas. For assistance with the call blocking feature, or any other feature, please speak to a Brightspeed customer service representative for more information. Contact the Business Office number found on your Brightspeed bill.

How do I get copies of my bill?

You can obtain your billing information in these ways:

  • Access your account online through the Control Center (Business) or My Brightspeed (Residential).
  • Speak with a Brightspeed customer service representative by contacting the Business Office number found on your Brightspeed bill.

What can I do if I think my telephone number might be tapped?

If you suspect your telephone or Internet conversation is being illegally monitored (wiretapped), please contact Brightspeed Repair department by calling the Repair number found on your billing statement or in your directory. You can also open a Repair ticket online via the Control Center (Business) or My Brightspeed (Residential). Repair will log your concern and a technician will evaluate your line.

Who can I contact about identity theft or fraud related to my Brightspeed service?

The Brightspeed Fraud Management Operations Center is committed to eliminating revenue losses due to fraud through investigation, education, and policy enforcement, acting ethically and with integrity. The fraud team aggressively researches solutions to emerging fraud trends by determining the root cause and implementing preventative measures affecting process and/or policy changes.

If you are a customer and wish to report fraud related to your Brightspeed service or to report a fraudulent incident, please contact the Business Office number found on your Brightspeed bill.

You can also email the fraud organization at: fraud@brightspeed.com.

Who do I call if I want to report theft of a telecom service?

Always contact your local Law Enforcement Agency and they will contact Brightspeed for assistance.

All subpoenas issued in civil cases must be served on Brightspeed's registered agent for service of process, CT Corporation. CT Corporation is authorized to accept subpoenas on behalf of any Brightspeed entity registered to do business by the secretaries of state. You may visit your Secretary of State website for more information. You may also contact CT Corporation at 1-800-624-0909 or visit their website at http://ct.wolterskluwer.com/ctcorporation.

PLEASE NOTE: CT Corporation cannot provide any information other than how to submit a subpoena. If you have any other question or concerns, please contact the Brightspeed Law Enforcement team at 704-314-2390, or email us at: subpoena@brightspeed.com.

What kinds of records are available to a customer?

Bill Statements 

A customer can obtain copies of their billing statements for the most recent 12 months by accessing their account online through the Control Center (Business) or My Brightspeed (Residential). If you require statements older than 12 months, Brightspeed can provide copies of bill statements with proper customer authorization. Applicable fees may apply.

For additional assistance, speak with a Brightspeed customer service representative by contacting the Business Office number found on your Brightspeed bill.

No information about other Brightspeed customers will be released without a subpoena or court order specifically requesting the above information. Please see our Third-Party Requestor FAQ What kinds of records are available to a third party? 

Call Trace Results (*57) 

Once you have traced a call, contact your local Law Enforcement Agency. The trace results will only be released with a subpoena or court order. A successful trace will include the phone number captured and if that phone number is serviced by Brightspeed, the name and address of the subscriber will be released. If your Law Enforcement Agency has any questions regarding this process, please have them call the Brightspeed Trust & Safety team at 704-314-2390, or email us at: subpoena@brightspeed.com.

Internet Protocol (IP) Subscriber Information 

Internet Protocol information may include the name, address, associated phone number, user ID and time logs of the assigned Brightspeed customer. Brightspeed cannot process requests for IP subscriber information without being provided an exact date, time and time zone. Please note that no information will be released without a subpoena, court order, or other legal demand specifically requesting this information. Applicable fees may apply

Local Call Detail 

Brightspeed customers are charged for dial tone, not per call; therefore, local call detail will not appear on your bill. Records of local calls are not maintained in the normal course of business. To attempt to retrieve local call detail, Brightspeed must perform an extensive search of raw switch data and then attempt to assemble the relevant data into a report that can be understood by the requesting party. There is no guarantee that any particular local call record will be obtained. Applicable fees apply to any requesting party, including Law Enforcement agencies because this is data that is not maintained in the normal course of Brightspeed's business. No information will be released without a subpoena, court order, or other legal demand specifically requesting this information. 

Payment 

Payment information may include records of bank, credit card or electronic fund transfer payments. Your payment information can be found in your online bill/account. For further assistance, please speak with a Brightspeed customer service representative by contacting the Business Office number found on your Brightspeed bill.

Payment information can also be procured from your financial institution. 

Subscriber 

Subscriber, or customer, information may include customer name, physical address, billing address, account start date, account end date, current account status, associated numbers, authorized users, types of services, email addresses and/or balance information. A customer may obtain this information about their own account, much of which is available on MyAccount. For additional assistance, speak with a Brightspeed customer service representative by contacting the Business Office number found on your Brightspeed bill.

No information about other Brightspeed customers will be released without a subpoena or court order specifically requesting the above information. Please see our Third-Party Requestor FAQ What kinds of records are available to a third party? 

Toll / Long Distance Call Detail 

An itemized list of outgoing toll/long distance calls, incoming collect calls, calling cards or third party billed calls may be available on your billing statement. If you have an unlimited long distance plan, an itemized list may not appear on your billing statement, however the records may appear in your online account through the Control Center (Business) or My Brightspeed (Residential). Brightspeed can provide available toll records of outgoing call detail with proper customer authorization. Applicable fees may apply.

Prior to billing, Brightspeed may not be able to provide all information that will ultimately appear on the customer's billing statement.

For additional assistance, speak with a Brightspeed customer service representative by contacting the Business Office number found on your Brightspeed bill.

No information about other Brightspeed customers will be released without a subpoena or court order specifically requesting the above information. Please see our Third-Party Requestor FAQ What kinds of records are available to a third party?

Voice Messaging 

You can access your voice-mail messages as long as you have not deleted them. Brightspeed cannot retrieve voice-mail messages once they have been deleted, or if your service has been disconnected. For further assistance, please speak with a Brightspeed customer service representative by contacting the Business Office number found on your Brightspeed bill.

Civil Subpoena

A Civil Subpoena is a discovery request for information used in civil proceedings between private parties. Civil subpoenas may be issued by the attorneys representing the parties in the case. Although there is no legal obligation, it is Brightspeed's general practice to provide notice to its customers of any civil subpoena requesting the customer's information in order to provide the customer with an opportunity to file an objection in the court where the civil case is filed. 

Criminal Subpoena/Search Warrant 

A Criminal Subpoena, or Search Warrant, is a discovery request for information in criminal investigations or formal proceedings. Most criminal subpoenas/search warrants are signed off on by a judge after a review of the law enforcement agency's application. A court case does not have to be filed prior to the issuance of an investigative subpoena or search warrant. Often, an investigatory subpoena will contain an order that the customer cannot be notified of the request for information. 

Court Order 

A Court Order is an order issued by a judge presiding over a civil or criminal case demanding information be released to the court. Court orders are required for the release of the "content" (for example, information contained in emails or web site visits, wiretaps, etc.) of a customer's communication.

I received notification of a Copyright subpoena. Why do they want my information and what's the process I'll be going through?

When Brightspeed is served a Copyright subpoena requesting identifying information on a particular IP address or addresses, Brightspeed is a third party to the subpoena, meaning we are required to provide certain information requested by the federal court. Brightspeed's practice is to notify our affected customers as a courtesy of possible future litigation. Once we provide the information to the federal court, Brightspeed has completed its legal requirement in the matter.

An example of what prompts a subpoena to be served on Brightspeed as a third party would be a production company suspecting illegal downloads of movies or music. They supply Brightspeed, as well as other Internet Service Providers, lists of IP addresses that logged onto various shared file sites. The plaintiff, in this example, the production company, is trying to identify individuals via IP addresses, who are suspected of alleged downloading of movies or music in an illegal manner. The production company's motivation is to recover lost royalties as they were not compensated for the downloaded product.

When Brightspeed is served a Copyright subpoena, Brightspeed is required by law to provide the following specifics to the requesting federal court:

  • Account number
  • Connection logs, meaning date and time when the IP assigned to an account, as provided by the production company, logged in and then logged out (was issued and released).
  • User name associated with the account
  • Customer information (for example, name, address, telephone number)

If you received a notification of a Copyright subpoena, you may decide to file an objection with the federal court (for example, a motion to “quash”). If you wish to do so, contact the appropriate federal court named on the letter prior to the due date specified on the Brightspeed notification. Objections must be filed with the appropriate federal court; Brightspeed cannot assist with the filing. Contact the court clerk for information on filing the motion. The court, case name, and case number are provided in the notification.

Also notify Brightspeed Trust & Safety team of your objection prior to the date specified in the notification letter sent to you by calling 833-363-2571. Be prepared to leave a message including your name, call back number, and a Brightspeed case number, if available. You may also email us at:
Copyright@brightspeed.com. A team member will respond within 1 business day.

Simply raising an objection with Brightspeed will not prevent the release of your information. Brightspeed can only withhold information with proper notification from the federal court if they rule in favor of your objection.

Brightspeed cannot provide more information about the subpoena itself and Brightspeed cannot provide legal advice to you regarding any objections you may have. Please consult with an attorney for legal assistance.

Who can I talk to about a notice of a Copyright subpoena from Brightspeed?

Brightspeed is firmly committed to protecting your privacy.

However, as stated in the notification letter sent by Brightspeed, Brightspeed received a subpoena which legally requires us to produce the information requested on the date specified. Brightspeed has no basis upon which to withhold the information or object to the subpoena on your behalf.

If you have objections to the subpoena requesting information about you, you must file your objections directly with the federal court handling the case, and notify the Brightspeed Trust & Safety team of your objection prior to the date specified in the notification letter sent to you. The court, case name, and case number are provided in the letter.

For specific filing or process questions, please speak to the clerk of the court specified. Notify the Brightspeed Trust & Safety team of your objection prior to the date specified in the notification letter sent to you by calling 833-363-2571. Be prepared to leave a message including your name, call back number, and a Brightspeed case number, if available. You may also email us at: Copyright@brightspeed.com. A team member will respond within 1 business day.

Brightspeed cannot provide more information about the subpoena itself and Brightspeed cannot provide legal advice to you regarding any objections you may have. Please consult with an attorney for legal assistance.

As a former Level 3 customer, how can I request my data?

Customer data is available to customers through the customer portal.

If the data you seek is not available through the customer portal, please contact your Account Manager for further assistance. Note: Call Detail Records (CDRs) are retained for 2 years pursuant to Brightspeed’s data retention policy.