The absence of clear privacy rules means companies that supply internet service, and who can monitor how consumers use it, can continue to mine that information for use in their own advertising businesses. On March 28, the House of Representatives voted 215-205 to follow the Senate’s lead, and President Donald Trump has indicated he will sign the measure. Even some Trump supporters took to Reddit to voice their concerns.
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Meanwhile, Comcast Senior VP Gerard Lewis clarified their company will not to share any sensitive information unless there is consent from the customer as posted in Corporate.Comcast.
President Trump and Congress have appropriately invalidated one part of the Obama-era plan for regulating the Internet.
On Friday, major ISPs Verizon, AT&T and Comcast pledged not to sell such data and said consumers would have “opt out” options from any such data sales if they were offered.
“Your internet access provider shouldn’t be able to sell your private information like your browsing history to the highest bidder”, said state Rep.
“As we have pointed out, they have already tried numerous practices – including hijacking your searches – that they are now allowed to do thanks to the party-line vote in Congress”. “Repeal of the FCC’s rules will not change current ISP practices”.
“Your broadband provider knows deeply personal information about you and your family – where you are, what you want to know, every site you visit, and more”, stated House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in an interview before the vote on Tuesday.
Trump signed a resolution, which passed Congress with only Republican votes, to repeal the privacy rule adopted a year ago by Democrats at the Federal Communications Commission. As the tech website Gizmodo put it, “Congress Just Gave Internet Providers the Green Light to Sell Your Browsing History Without Consent”.
Without the FCC rules in place, ISPs may collect and sell web browsing histories, health and financial data, the contents of emails and messages, app usage data, Social Security numbers, and other private information.
In response to the congressional vote, both chambers in Minnesota’s Legislature passed legislation last week requiring that internet providers ask for permission before selling the personal data of customers.
“I understand that consumers here are upset by the (federal) House and Senate votes”, Alben said. This rule would have made that more hard.
Service providers are not the only keepers of some sensitive information – meaning their promise to keep browsing histories secure doesn’t ensure total privacy.
The FTC now has guidelines for how companies such as Google and Facebook may use customers’ information. They would have kept ISPs from selling customers’ data and using new invasive ways to track and deliver targeted ads to customers.
Backlash over the overturned FCC regulations hasn’t faded.
President Trump has signed into law Senate Joint Resolution 34 that nullifies the Federal Communications Commission’s final rule titled “Protecting the Privacy of Customers of Broadband and Other Telecommunication Services”. On Tuesday, Temkin started a fundraiser to defray the cost.
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“The FCC privacy rules are just another example of burdensome rules that hurt more than they help”, said Texas Sen.
