Republicans in congress want your internet provider to be able to track and sell information about the websites you visit. |
Congress completed its overturning of the nation’s strongest internet privacy protections for individuals on {March 28, 2017} in a victory for telecommunications companies, which can track and sell a customer’s online information with greater ease.
In a 215-to-205 vote largely along party lines, House Republicans moved to dismantle rules created by the Federal Communications Commission in October. Those rules, which had been slated to go into effect later this year, had required broadband providers to receive permission before collecting data on a user’s online activities. Lawmakers and Republican regulators at the F.C.C. have said they plan to target the 2015 classification of broadband as a utilitylike service that is strapped with strong regulatory oversight. They are also set to seek the overturning of Obama-era net neutrality rules that forbade broadband providers from blocking, slowing down or charging extra for downloads of websites and apps. Democratic lawmakers and regulators protested the vote, saying consumers had few options for high-speed internet service, which meant more government oversight of the companies was needed. Broadband providers have an expansive view into consumers’ online habits, including seeing what sites and apps are visited, which can expose sensitive information. The F.C.C. rules would have given consumers greater power to stop companies from making money off such information, the Democrats said. “The rules gave individuals control over their information when it comes to privacy,” Mignon Clyburn, the sole Democratic F.C.C. commissioner, said in an interview. “The proprietary information these companies have at their disposal should not only be treated with care, but consumers should have a voice.” Source: "Congress Moves to Overturn Obama-Era Online Privacy Rules" By CECILIA KANG - NY Times - MARCH 28, 2017 |
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Comments | Contributor | Date Submitted |
Sounds sorta Big Brother-like to me. | Linda Denton |
2/22/2018 |
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