[Newsbot]

Title: Advertisers look forward to buying your Web browsing history from ISPs
Category: Uncle Sam
Posted By: DrCaleb
Date: 2017-03-14 11:23:04
Canadian

[N_Fiddledog]

The Republican Ars Technica is speaking of is Jeff Flakes.

Here's his side from his website:

"Washington, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law, today introduced a resolution to repeal economically harmful broadband regulations issued by the Obama administration.

The resolution would not change or lessen existing consumer privacy regulations. It is intended to block an attempt by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to expand its regulatory jurisdiction and impose prescriptive data restrictions on internet service providers. These restrictions have the potential to negatively impact consumers and the future of internet innovation.

Flake's resolution would provide for congressional disapproval of the FCC rule under the Congressional Review Act, a 1996 law that empowers Congress to repeal federal regulations. The resolution would also prevent the FCC from issuing similarly harmful regulations in the future.

'The FCC's midnight regulation does nothing to protect consumer privacy. It is unnecessary, confusing and adds yet another innovation-stifling regulation to the internet,' said Flake. 'My resolution is the first step toward restoring the FTC's light-touch, consumer-friendly approach. It will not change or lessen existing consumer privacy protections. It empowers consumers to make informed choices on if and how their data can be shared.'"


On March 1, 2017, Flake wrote an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal laying out his argument for the resolution. View the op-ed here"

http://www.flake.senate.gov/public/inde ... 3971A21061

[N_Fiddledog]

He goes into greater detail at that Wall Street Journal Op Ed.

Basically Obama wanted the FCC to be in control. So the FCC was given that control in 2015. Flake wants the FTC to get control back.

So if Americans want to know how truly horrific this change Ars Technica is warning them of is, it would seem all they'd have to do is ask themselves "how bad were things before 2015?"

It's explained in better detail including the web browser stuff here:

http://www.flake.senate.gov/public/inde ... 5B31AF4953

[BeaverFever]

Just the same right wing pro-corporate, anti-regulation rhetoric. These regulations don't burden consumers, they burden businesses. Republicans don't give a flying shit about people or consumers. It's all about serving their corporate interest paymasters.

Why would any consumer support LESS regulation of how their personal private data is collected and used,, except for purely partisan ideological reasons?

[DrCaleb]

BeaverFever BeaverFever:

Why would any consumer support LESS regulation of how their personal private data is collected and used,, except for purely partisan ideological reasons?

And of course, the congratulatory letter from the advertising conglomerate is all about consumers choice, I'm sure.

[DrCaleb]

And a follow up article:

$1:

ISPs that want the federal government to eliminate broadband privacy rules say that your Web browsing and app usage data should not be classified as "sensitive" information.

"Web browsing and app usage history are not 'sensitive information,'" CTIA said in a filing with the Federal Communications Commission yesterday. CTIA is the main lobbyist group representing mobile broadband providers such as AT&T, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile USA, and Sprint.

The FCC rules passed during the Obama administration require ISPs to get opt-in consent from consumers before sharing sensitive customer information with advertisers and other third parties. The FCC defined Web browsing history and app usage history as sensitive information, along with other categories such as geo-location data, financial and health information, and the content of communications. If the rules are overturned, ISPs would be able to sell this kind of customer information to advertisers.

ISPs say your Web browsing and app usage history isn’t “sensitive”

If anyone doesn't think your browsing history is 'sensitive', post your unredacted link history and Google Search history below. Because that's the information that's going to be up for sale.