Privacy Rights of Satellite Subscribers
Satellite privacy s.338(i)
Communications
Added by the Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act of 1999, this provision gives satellite TV subscribers privacy protections that mirror the Cable Act: annual notice, consent for collection and disclosure, access, and destruction of unneeded data.
- Where
- Federal
- Citation
- 47 U.S.C. 338(i)
- Status
- In force
- In force since
- 1999-11-29
- Last amended
- 2014-12-04
- Enforced by
- Private civil actions; Federal Communications Commission
- People can sue
- Yes
- Penalties
- Actual damages but not less than liquidated damages of $100 a day or $1,000, whichever is higher, plus punitive damages and fees.
- Applies to
- Satellite carriers providing satellite service or other services to subscribers
What a privacy notice must say
- Provide a separate written privacy notice at the start of service and at least annually.47 U.S.C. 338(i)(1)
Rights it gives people
- Give subscribers access to their information and destroy it when no longer needed.47 U.S.C. 338(i)(5)-(6)
Practices it requires
- Obtain prior written or electronic consent before collecting or disclosing subscriber personally identifiable information, subject to exceptions.47 U.S.C. 338(i)(2)-(4)
Other duties
- Aggrieved subscribers may sue for damages.47 U.S.C. 338(i)(7)
Sources
Checked against these sources on 2026-09-25 by research agent (Claude), primary sources.
Unverified: Paragraph numbering of 338(i)(2)-(4) was not read closely | last_amended is the latest amendment to section 338 overall (Pub. L. 113-200); whether it touched subsection (i) was not checked
Research reference, not legal advice.