ISPs can now sell your browsing history without your permission

Mook

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I mean I guess if someone wants to see the porn I was looking at, or how often I refresh this site...thats cool.

But really, this is kiiiiind of a big deal.

http://www.theverge.com/2017/3/29/15100620/congress-fcc-isp-web-browsing-privacy-fire-sale

http://www.theverge.com/2017/3/28/15080436/us-house-votes-to-let-isps-share-web-browsing-history

Internet providers now just need a signature from President Trump before they’re free to take, share, and even sell your web browsing history without your permission.

The House of Representatives passed a resolution today overturning an Obama-era FCC rule that required internet providers to get customers’ permission before sharing their browsing history with other companies. The rules also required internet providers to protect that data from hackers and inform customers of any breaches.

The resolution was first passed by the Senate last week and now heads to the president, who’s expected to sign it. At that point, there’ll only be a vague baseline of privacy rules governing internet providers and some promises from them not to misbehave.

“The consequences of passing this resolution are clear: broadband providers like AT&T, Comcast, and others will be able to sell your personal information to the highest bidder without your permission,” said Representative Anna Eshoo (D-CA) on the House floor this afternoon. “And no one will be able to protect you, not even the Federal Trade Commission that our friends on the other side of the aisle keep talking about.”

So why did Congress block the rules from being implemented? Republicans bought into internet providers’ arguments that the rules discriminated against them and could confuse consumers. The rules would prevent internet providers from selling your web browsing history even though, the argument goes, websites like Google and Facebook would remain free to do the same thing. ISPs say that’s unfair and makes it hard for consumers to understand who gets to see their browsing data.

But the argument is extremely misleading, if not outright wrong: Google and Facebook can’t see your web browsing history, they can only see what you click on while you’re on their own websites or on websites connected to their ad networks. Meanwhile, internet providers get to see a bit of nearly everything you do and visit; and even with the rules in place, they have every right to build the kind of ad-tracking websites that Google and Facebook have built. It’s just hard work, and they don’t want to do it.

The rules, if anything, put internet providers on a level playing field with companies like Facebook and Google. But Republicans don’t like that it creates more work for them. “These rules do little to enhance privacy but clearly add a layer of red tape on innovators and job creators,” Representative Greg Walden (R-OR), chair of the House’s commerce committee, said ahead of the vote. The rules, he said, “have the potential to stifle one of the most innovative sectors of our economy.”
 

Mook

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All of your browsing history, your actions...Comcast, ATT, etc can now sell to WHOEVER they want, without your permission. They can sell it to marketing firms, businesses, doesnt matter.

There is literally no reason for this to have been passed.
 

Yaj Yak

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All of your browsing history, your actions...Comcast, ATT, etc can now sell to WHOEVER they want, without your permission. They can sell it to marketing firms, businesses, doesnt matter.

There is literally no reason for this to have been passed.

i mean isn't it the next step in internet advertising & marketing though?

everyone already gives facebook & google the rights to read through and go through absolutely everything ever.
 

Mook

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Again, FB and Google can only capture what you are doing on their sites. Your clicks on there, actions, interests, which I agree are similar if not almost the same.

But again, they can not SEE what you are browsing all day. Now ISPs can and they can sell that info, without having to tell you.

Its a huge invasion of privacy.
 

Yaj Yak

Gladys
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Again, FB and Google can only capture what you are doing on their sites. Your clicks on there, actions, interests, which I agree are similar if not almost the same.

But again, they can not SEE what you are browsing all day. Now ISPs can and they can sell that info, without having to tell you.

Its a huge invasion of privacy.

i don't get this stuff very well but doesn't a cookie basically do the same thing?

like when i look at vanities on homedepot.com and then go to FB and see it as my top post for the next 3 days as a sponsored ad?
 

Flyn

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The ISPs could have sold your history yesterday. The privacy act signed by Obama wasn't even going to kick in until Dec. 2017.

If you are damaged by privacy invasions, Call up the ACLU and start a class action suit.

ISPs have, so far, been afraid of liability from releasing too much customer data. Just because the government won't start making them get your permission doesn't mean you don't have protections. I think this will be an escalation of targeted ads with the ISPs taking the side of caution as to what kind of ads you get. They don't want your 5 y.o. getting porn because you looked at a porn site.
 

Mook

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Yes, I know. My point, yet again, is why the fuck would this be blocked? Lets just let everyone have total access to my shit? Ridiculous. You say theyve been cautious in the past...now they have the govt saying "go wild"....ya, they'll continue to be cautious Im sure.
 

Flyn

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I mean in all honesty, none of this is surprising. But what is confusing is why Trump and Co would block this...

Trump is trying to roll back the red tape the government has placed on business over the last couple generations.

Fact that it makes more money for the ISPs is just a bonus.

I assume Trump would like them to cut prices and/or pay more taxes because they are making more profits but I doubt that will happen.
 
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