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Senate votes to let internet providers share your browsing history without permission

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V

Vanillalite

Ask me about the GAF Notebook
The Verge

The US Senate has voted to overturn consumer-friendly internet privacy rules that would have prevented internet providers from sharing your web browsing history without permission.

The privacy rules, passed last year by the FCC, required internet providers like Comcast, Verizon, and AT&T to get each customer’s permission before sharing personal information like which websites they visit. But internet providers want to be able to sell that data and use it to target ads, so they’ve been vocal about opposing the rules since around the time President Trump took office.
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V

Vanillalite

Ask me about the GAF Notebook
ARS

The US Senate today voted to eliminate broadband privacy rules that would have required ISPs to get consumers' explicit consent before selling or sharing Web browsing data and other private information with advertisers and other companies.

The rules were approved in October 2016 by the Federal Communications Commission's then-Democratic leadership, but are opposed by the FCC's new Republican majority and Republicans in Congress. The Senate today used its power under the Congressional Review Act to ensure that the FCC rulemaking "shall have no force or effect" and to prevent the FCC from issuing similar regulations in the future.

The House, also controlled by Republicans, would need to vote on the measure before the privacy rules are officially eliminated. President Trump could also preserve the privacy rules by issuing a veto. If the House and Trump agree with the Senate's action, ISPs won't have to seek customer approval before sharing their browsing histories and other private information with advertisers.

The Senate vote was 50-48.

“President Trump may be outraged by fake violations of his own privacy, but every American should be alarmed by the very real violation of privacy that will result [from] the Republican roll-back of broadband privacy protections," Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) said after the vote.

The Senate measure was introduced two weeks ago by Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) and 23 Republican co-sponsors. Flake said at the time that he is trying to "protect consumers from overreaching Internet regulation." FCC Chairman Ajit Pai argues that consumers would be confused if there are different privacy rules for ISPs than for online companies like Google and Facebook. "American consumers should not have to be lawyers or engineers to figure out if their information is protected," Pai recently told Democratic lawmakers.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) argued today that the privacy rules "hurt job creators and stifle economic growth." Cornyn also said the FCC's privacy rulemaking involves the "government picking winners and losers," and was among the "harmful rules and regulations put forward by the Obama administration at the last moment."
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T

thewaffles

Member
"American consumers should not have to be lawyers or engineers to figure out if their information is protected," Pai recently told Democratic lawmakers.
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So let's just get rid of their privacy altogether? Makes perfect sense.
 
W

Wanda/Wander

Member
tenor.gif
 
E

Electric Eye

Banned
The republicans will keep eroding regulations and they will keep getting sued and sent to the Supreme Court and then those regulations become the law of the land. Completely stupid short sited thinking.
 
R

Red

Member
Syriel said:
Not going to stop ISP data collection.

You best be subscribing to multiple VPN services if you want to prevent your ISP from knowing what systems you are connecting to.
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Or try Tor. There really isn't a convenient work around for all devices.
 
M

Mr Fahrenheit

Member
The law saying they couldn't do this hasn't even been in effect that long, right? So really it's just an unfortunate return to form.

It's such an asinine thing to roll back, I can kind of (not really) get why you wouldn't be for it when it was passed, but what motivates you to go through the effort of changing it back?
 
BibiMaghoo

BibiMaghoo

Member
Companies could easily have offered viable incentives for customers to consent. Eg, $20 off your bill, free something or other, added this or that.

It is a fucking sad state of affairs when it's easier to just get the law changed than ask your customers with an email tick box.

This doesn't affect me, but I'd gladly allow my ISP this for something in return.
 
R

Red

Member
Mr Fahrenheit said:
The law saying they couldn't do this hasn't even been in effect that long, right? So really it's just an unfortunate return to form.

It's such an asinine thing to roll back, I can kind of (not really) get why you wouldn't be for it when it was passed, but what motivates you to go through the effort of changing it back?
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Obstensibly, targeted advertisements, I guess. In practice, an easier way to monitor online activity.
BibiMaghoo said:
Companies could easily have offered viable incentives for customers to consent. Eg, $20 off your bill, free something or other, added this or that.

It is a fucking sad state of affairs when it's easier to just get the law changed than ask your customers with an email tick box.

This doesn't affect me, but I'd gladly allow my ISP this for something in return.
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I get paid $5 a month for sharing data with Digital Reflection Panel.

I think Google will pay some users for data as well.

With the removal of privacy regulation I'm not sure how those services will change.
 
fixedpoint

fixedpoint

Member
Since it's now legal, and in the interest of creating jobs, maybe we should crowdfund an effort to share with everyone the browsing history and habits of the Senators who voted "Yea" on this:

Alexander (R-TN)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Blunt (R-MO)
Boozman (R-AR)
Burr (R-NC)
Capito (R-WV)
Cassidy (R-LA)
Cochran (R-MS)
Collins (R-ME)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Cotton (R-AR)
Crapo (R-ID)
Cruz (R-TX)
Daines (R-MT)
Enzi (R-WY)
Ernst (R-IA)
Fischer (R-NE)
Flake (R-AZ)
Gardner (R-CO)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Hatch (R-UT)
Heller (R-NV)
Hoeven (R-ND)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Johnson (R-WI)
Kennedy (R-LA)
Lankford (R-OK)
Lee (R-UT)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Moran (R-KS)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Perdue (R-GA)
Portman (R-OH)
Risch (R-ID)
Roberts (R-KS)
Rounds (R-SD)
Rubio (R-FL)
Sasse (R-NE)
Scott (R-SC)
Shelby (R-AL)
Strange (R-AL)
Sullivan (R-AK)
Thune (R-SD)
Tillis (R-NC)
Toomey (R-PA)
Wicker (R-MS)
Young (R-IN)
 
J

j-wood

Member
Let's all acknowledge the hypocrisy of Trump if he doesn't veto this after the outrage of him being wiretapped. For fucks sake
 
T

theechrisfox

Member
What is stopping republicans from just abolishing the FCC, along with the EPA and other regulatory branch of government that impedes their profit?
 
W

WhiteRabbitEXE

Member
fixedpoint said:
Since it's now legal, and in the interest of creating jobs, maybe we should crowdfund an effort to share with everyone the browsing history and habits of the Senators who voted "Yea" on this:

Alexander (R-TN)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Blunt (R-MO)
Boozman (R-AR)
Burr (R-NC)
Capito (R-WV)
Cassidy (R-LA)
Cochran (R-MS)
Collins (R-ME)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Cotton (R-AR)
Crapo (R-ID)
Cruz (R-TX)
Daines (R-MT)
Enzi (R-WY)
Ernst (R-IA)
Fischer (R-NE)
Flake (R-AZ)
Gardner (R-CO)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Hatch (R-UT)
Heller (R-NV)
Hoeven (R-ND)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Johnson (R-WI)
Kennedy (R-LA)
Lankford (R-OK)
Lee (R-UT)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Moran (R-KS)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Perdue (R-GA)
Portman (R-OH)
Risch (R-ID)
Roberts (R-KS)
Rounds (R-SD)
Rubio (R-FL)
Sasse (R-NE)
Scott (R-SC)
Shelby (R-AL)
Strange (R-AL)
Sullivan (R-AK)
Thune (R-SD)
Tillis (R-NC)
Toomey (R-PA)
Wicker (R-MS)
Young (R-IN)
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Thanks McCain. Thanks Flake.
 
ElRenoRaven

ElRenoRaven

Member
Shock shock fucking Lankford voted Yea. Fucking fuck. I hate that piece of shit. Voted against him every fucking time yet he keeps getting re-elected. He's as anti consumer, anti freedom, anti human compassion as they come.
 
Z

zulux21

Member
so just want to note.

I don't know how good "Hotspot Shield - Elite VPN"

but a year of it is included in the current humble bundle for $15


I am curious how well Tor works personally as some things I use such as black desert online likely won't take to me using a VPN very well.
 
N

Netherscourge

Banned
Violence Jack said:
So turning on Privacy Mode with any browser I use for the next 4 years. Got it.
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That will hide it from your wife/girlfriend, not your ISP.

Your ISP records every single IP address your modem connects to. You have no control over that unless you go through a VPN/proxy. But then, the VPN provider can sell your IP connections too if they want to.

There are no safe zones anymore.
 
A

Azuran

Banned
fixedpoint said:
Since it's now legal, and in the interest of creating jobs, maybe we should crowdfund an effort to share with everyone the browsing history and habits of the Senators who voted "Yea" on this:

Alexander (R-TN)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Blunt (R-MO)
Boozman (R-AR)
Burr (R-NC)
Capito (R-WV)
Cassidy (R-LA)
Cochran (R-MS)
Collins (R-ME)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Cotton (R-AR)
Crapo (R-ID)
Cruz (R-TX)
Daines (R-MT)
Enzi (R-WY)
Ernst (R-IA)
Fischer (R-NE)
Flake (R-AZ)
Gardner (R-CO)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Hatch (R-UT)
Heller (R-NV)
Hoeven (R-ND)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Johnson (R-WI)
Kennedy (R-LA)
Lankford (R-OK)
Lee (R-UT)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Moran (R-KS)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Perdue (R-GA)
Portman (R-OH)
Risch (R-ID)
Roberts (R-KS)
Rounds (R-SD)
Rubio (R-FL)
Sasse (R-NE)
Scott (R-SC)
Shelby (R-AL)
Strange (R-AL)
Sullivan (R-AK)
Thune (R-SD)
Tillis (R-NC)
Toomey (R-PA)
Wicker (R-MS)
Young (R-IN)
Click to expand...

Look at all those Rs
 
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