Can phone carriers provide records to customers of text/sms messages?

Hey

So basically this is an issue that a girl that i am close with and i were discussing....

She was worried that earlier in the year, her mother had called her phone provider (Verizon Wireless) and was able to obtain records of her 16 year old younger sisters text messages.

My girl is 20, and she had a weird feeling that somehow her mum was able to view her texts.

I dont know shit about it, but i would say that NO phone providers cannot access that. I think that it IS possible for government agencies to do so though.

What do you guys think?

 

if mom signed the contract or forged a request...yes...for a fee...most carriers will provide a record...the courts get these records all the time in all sorts of circumstances

 

It's definitely more likely that the texts can be viewed if need be. As far as the law goes though I'd keep my sketchy shit in text so you can at least deny it as opposed to recordings of your voice

 

this girl needs to cancel the phone if its in her mothers name and get a contract of her own

 

that or a tracphone pay as you go type thing

 

I dont know if they can get images...as in 'sexting'...probably though

 

Yes. Well that would be the ideal solution.

I did not know that the person who owns the phone line can actually SEE what someone under their plan has written in a text! Thats crazy!

Also i wonder if this carries over to picture and video messaging as well.

 

If they can get texts I don't see why they wouldn't be able to get everything else. If someone is stealing your information they aren't going to go "oh I'll read their texts and listen to their voicemail but I would never look at their pics."

 

I have no idea what the owner can access

I just think that at 20 years old she needs to have her own name on the phone that way no one else can have access without warrants or whatever

if her mother is the account holder thats just asking for trouble

 

Yes they can... Usually records after 1 year+ get deleted. Its called a "Call Detail Report". The cell phone owner is able to check certain record details over the internet, but getting texts/MSGS takes a call to the customer service, with all the valid questions.

** But.... Most cellphone companies ONLY release CDRs for court, or legit (court/trail/civil etc) papers from the owner reasons only. It is illegal for another person (other than the owner) to obtain these. The only way another person can, is with court detailed papers with the other person name.


I doubt the mother did that. It also takes 30 days to come in the mail.. only in the mail and only to that exact address of the contract (unless changed).
If she doesnt have her own phone, I suggest getting her own phone... But at best a pre-paid or pay-as-you-go... No owner, no history track.