How the Republicans Sold Your Privacy to Internet Providers

[Hortensis]

NY Times Opinion, by Tom Wheeler, Chairman of FCC 2013-2017

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/29/opinion/how-the-republicans-sold-your-privacy-to-internet-providers.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=opinion-c-col-right-region®ion=opinion-c-col-right-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-right-region

On Tuesday afternoon, while most people were focused on the latest news from the House Intelligence Committee, the House quietly voted to undo rules that keep internet service providers — the companies like Comcast, Verizon and Charter that you pay for online access — from selling your personal information. The Senate already approved the bill, on a party-line vote, last week, which means that in the coming days President Trump will be able to sign legislation that will strike a significant blow against online privacy protection.

The bill not only gives cable companies and wireless providers free rein to do what they like with your browsing history, shopping habits, your location and other information gleaned from your online activity, but it would also prevent the Federal Communications Commission from ever again establishing similar consumer privacy protections.

The bill is an effort by the F.C.C.’s new Republican majority and congressional Republicans to overturn a simple but vitally important concept — namely that the information that goes over a network belongs to you as the consumer, not to the network hired to carry it. It’s an old idea: For decades, in both Republican and Democratic administrations, federal rules have protected the privacy of the information in a telephone call. In 2016, the F.C.C., which I led as chairman under President Barack Obama, extended those same protections to the internet.
...
his bill isn’t the only gift to the industry. The Trump F.C.C. recently voted to stay requirements that internet service providers must take “reasonable measures” to protect confidential information they hold on their customers, such as Social Security numbers and credit card information. This is not a hypothetical risk — in 2015 AT&T was fined $25 million for shoddy practices that allowed employees to steal and sell the private information of 280,000 customers.

[C_U_L8R]

1. Okay, if these shitheads want free market rules

I will only do business with those that guarantee my data security and privacy. And will promptly replace any of those that won't. That's a message and action we need to take, together. We are the free market.

Same goes for food safety, environment, equal rights, etc. We vote with our wallets every day.

[Fast Walker 52]

2. I fucking hate these people. They need to GO!

[dalton99a]

3. Kick.

[Blue_Tires]

4. GJGE Snowdenistas

[Hortensis]

5. We'll be able to purchase neighbors' browsing histories

in future. I was looking at a mock-up of a website where individuals could purchase, for instance, what should be the private browsing history of a coworker.

Employers also, of course, will contract to be able to look over employees and prospective employees.

Because the new law will say our browsing histories belong to the ISPs, not us.