The Senate Just Voted to Allow ISPs to Sell Your Data Without Asking

Inverse ^ | 03/23/17 | Monica Hunter-Hart

[Enlightened1]

The Senate overturned late Obama-era rules Thursday meant to protect consumer privacy from internet service providers that want to sell it.

The regulations were passed in October, but hadn’t yet gone into effect. They would have required ISPs like Comcast and Verizon to ask permission before using or selling personal information.

ISPs collect data like your browsing history, your physical location, the apps you’re using, and your financial and health information. They can then sell that data to advertisers, who use it to tailor their marketing to your individual wants and needs.

If customers don’t want their data to be used like this by ISPs, they can specifically notify the providers, who will have to oblige; this is known as an “opt out” policy. Last year Tom Wheeler, the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under Obama, wasn’t convinced that this standard did enough to protect consumers. He helped create the new set of rules, approved in October, requiring “opt in” policies. If the new regulations are allowed to take effect, ISPs will need to obtain your explicit approval before selling your data.

[Enlightened1]

This is terrible and allows the government to legally buy your browse history data.

[Enlightened1]

[Mouton]

The government is an enemy of the people.

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

Unreal.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Just started using an overseas VPN this week for a myriad of reasons, including this kind of stuff.

[ConservativeMind]

But all this does is overturn something that didn’t go into effect, which means we are left with what you had as of yesterday.

What’s the issue?

[max americana]

We do too.

[lysie]

.

[b4its2late]

They have it already

[Diogenesis]

What are the chances that:

1) The Congress is either EXEMPT

and/or

2) Certain members of the EXEMPT Congress get a cut
or other quid pro quo from Verizon/Comcast?

[mrsmith]

Google, Facebook etc paid good money to Obama to protect their market!

(You did notice this didn’t apply to them?)

[palmer]

Having the FCC dictate that cable internet is a right is terrible. Government regulation makes it even worse. If you are concerned about your privacy then sign up to opt out.

[palmer]

The 4th amendment doesn't give you a right to free stuff (cable internet). If you don't like your cable internet then leave. How many choices of cable internet do I have?

Zero.

[Democrat_media]

Obama and his FCC commissar were for these “consumer protection” regulations which tells you all you need to know to be against these “consumer protection” regulations. Funny how these freaking commies say they are for regulating businesses for “consumer protection” all the time and even on here idiots fall for these lies .

What about Obama and communists lie don't people get ?

[Jim Robinson]

They probably have this bass ackwards.

[LucyT]

The Senate Just Voted to Allow ISPs to Sell Your Data Without Asking

So there's no difference between the senate and othugga. Traitors, both.

Remember this next time you vote.

[WENDLE]

They and their families were paid money!! We have lost control of our government.

[R_Kangel]

.... Please remind me why we even vote any more? I could have sworn that we voted a few conservatives in to protect the Constitution of the United States!

[palmer]

When I post here my provider can view everything because there is no https://freerepublic.com You really should fix that. To rely on the federal government to protect my privacy (posting here or accessing anything else non-HTTPS) is not a solution. Just invites problems in a future hostile administration down the road.

[DBrow]

This actually means “nothing changes”. We have not lost anything. Hmm, Obama decreed this in October? Probably planting a mine for the press to exploit, like Clinton making the arsenic drinking water standard 10,000 times lower in November, so when Bush lightened it up he was accused of killing kids through arsenic poisoning.