Brad Austin
2,500+ Posts
In a controversial move, not long ago Congress (and Reps) voted to reverse Obama's FCC privacy rule, thus allowing ISP's to sell costumer data.
At the time I found their backing this a really odd thing to support. Most Americans are firmly against their private info and browsing activities being sold and shared.
Well it looks like the Reps reversed Obama's privacy rule on the grounds it didn't reach far enough and excluded tech giants like Facebook, Amazon, Google, etc.
On May 18, rep Marsha Balckburn (R) introduced the Browser Act reaching much further than the reversed FCC privacy rule.
The “Browser Act,” introduced May 18 by Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, mandates that people must explicitly give permission to internet service providers (ISPs) and websites wanting to use their browsing history and other data for business purposes.
“I think it is necessary to get our consumers the strongest toolbox possible to allow them to control their virtual presence,” Blackburn told The Daily Caller News Foundation (TheDCNF) in an interview. “Individuals in the physical world have the opportunity to hold personal information private and they should have that same opportunity in the virtual space.”
The legislation’s primary focus is sectored into two categories. User information considered sensitive would be subjected to an opt-in approval system, meaning the data would only be permitted for company use if the person gives clear approval. In contrast, user information deemed non-sensitive would be subjected to an opt-out approval system in which data is automatically permitted for business operations unless notified otherwise.
At the time I found their backing this a really odd thing to support. Most Americans are firmly against their private info and browsing activities being sold and shared.
Well it looks like the Reps reversed Obama's privacy rule on the grounds it didn't reach far enough and excluded tech giants like Facebook, Amazon, Google, etc.
On May 18, rep Marsha Balckburn (R) introduced the Browser Act reaching much further than the reversed FCC privacy rule.
The “Browser Act,” introduced May 18 by Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, mandates that people must explicitly give permission to internet service providers (ISPs) and websites wanting to use their browsing history and other data for business purposes.
“I think it is necessary to get our consumers the strongest toolbox possible to allow them to control their virtual presence,” Blackburn told The Daily Caller News Foundation (TheDCNF) in an interview. “Individuals in the physical world have the opportunity to hold personal information private and they should have that same opportunity in the virtual space.”
The legislation’s primary focus is sectored into two categories. User information considered sensitive would be subjected to an opt-in approval system, meaning the data would only be permitted for company use if the person gives clear approval. In contrast, user information deemed non-sensitive would be subjected to an opt-out approval system in which data is automatically permitted for business operations unless notified otherwise.
