The US Senate's New Privacy Rules Are Terrible yet Headed for Passage
New privacy rules just passed by the United States Senate would give internet service providers (ISPs) the ability to sell your web surfing data to advertisers without your consent. The bill must now pass the U.S. House to become law.
Senate Joint Resolution 34 overturns internet privacy rules that were enacted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in December.
It reads:
Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Federal Communications Commission relating to “Protecting the Privacy of Customers of Broadband and Other Telecommunications Services”.
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That Congress disapproves the rule submitted by the Federal Communications Commission relating to “Protecting the Privacy of Customers of Broadband and Other Telecommunications Services” (81 Fed. Reg. 87274 (December 2, 2016)), and such rule shall have no force or effect.
According to Save Broadband Privacy, the new rules will allow “ISPs to store and sell our every move and detail.”
Why would the U.S. Senate and Congress do this? Vocativ claims 22 Republican senators pushing the bill have taken $1.7 million from the industry since the 2012 U.S. election.
They note:
Under the FCC’s direction, the rules force internet providers to tell their customers which of their data is sold for marketing purposes and allow them to opt in or out of sharing sensitive customer information. At the time, it was widely praised by privacy and consumer advocates.
Ultimately, 50 GOP senators voted to pass the bill versus all 48 Democratic senators who voted no. Two GOP senators didn’t vote at all, including Kentucky’s Rand Paul.
The new privacy rules bill now faces a second vote by the U.S. House. It becomes law if passed.
We’ll continue to follow this story as it develops. In the meantime, tell us your thoughts below.