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One of the proposals made by the NSA review committee is that phone companies (or possibly other third parties) would be required to store customer metadata for longer periods of time. But with the obvious security headaches, much greater expense and liability issues, it’s not surprising that the phone companies don’t want the job.

WASHINGTON — Telephone companies are quietly balking at the idea of changing how they collect and store Americans’ phone records to help the National Security Agency’s surveillance programs. They’re worried about their exposure to lawsuits and the price tag if the U.S. government asks them to hold information about customers for longer than they already do. …

… Two phone executives familiar with the discussions said the cellular industry told the government that it prefers the NSA keep control over the surveillance program and would only accept changes if they were legally required. The executives spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose the private discussions. But there have been public complaints, too.