Senate Republicans Just Voted to Kill Internet Privacy

From health-care coverage to environmental protections, Republicans are moving quickly to erase Barack Obama’s presidential legacy.

The latest Obama-era policy to be rolled back are guidelines protecting consumer Internet privacy.

Last year, the Federal Communications Commission, under the direction of former Democratic chairman Tom Wheeler, mandated that broadband providers get their customers’ permission before selling or giving their data to advertisers and other third parties.

On Thursday, the Senate voted along party lines, 50-48, to scrap those privacy rules, making it easier for broadband providers to share browsing history information about their customers.

www.vanityfair.com...

Congress just killed your Internet privacy protections

The House of Representatives voted Tuesday to repeal Internet privacy protections that were approved by the Federal Communications Commission in the final days of the Obama administration.



The Senate voted along party lines to undo the rules last week. The resolution now goes to Trump's desk. The White House said Tuesday it "strongly supports" the repeal.

money.cnn.com...

The dismantling of the Obama-era regulations “would be a crushing loss for online privacy,” the Electronic Frontier Foundation said Thursday. “ISPs act as gatekeepers to the Internet, giving them incredible access to records of what you do online. They shouldn’t be able to profit off of the information about what you search for, read about, purchase, and more without your consent.”

www.vanityfair.com...

No more asking permission...Your digital life is for sale...Thanks to the GOP and TRUMP...

a reply to: Indigo5

The "permission" rule was a joke. Every service and web site has in their fine print that by using their services you agree to them using your information in some way.

There is no privacy on the Internet.

originally posted by: BlueAjah
a reply to: Indigo5

The "permission" rule was a joke. Every service and web site has in their fine print that by using their services you agree to them using your information in some way.

There is no privacy on the Internet.

I think you are BSing to defend a very ugly agenda and corrupt policy..

But lets say you are right...That ISP providers made it complex for you to OPT OUT of them selling your Data...That you have to click a few times or read some fine print to Opt Out..

WHY pass a bill to ELIMINATE that option/requirement all-together?????? Giving them full access and ability to sell your data without permission?

From the party that wants purportedly LESS laws..why go out of their way to pass a bill to strip you and me of the ability to tell websites and ISPs they cant sell the data they collect about us??

a reply to: Indigo5

Because it did not do any good.

As you mentioned, there are too many sneaky, obscure ways for them to get your "permission", so it is pretty much useless.

I don't like the lack of privacy, but it is a fact of life on the Internet.
I don't use Facebook or other social networking for that reason.
I wonder how many people who complain about this ruling openly share their entire life on Facebook?

originally posted by: BlueAjah
a reply to: Indigo5

Because it did not do any good.

As you mentioned, there are too many sneaky, obscure ways for them to get your "permission", so it is pretty much useless.

I don't like the lack of privacy, but it is a fact of life on the Internet.

Both of your attempts are BS...

(1) Because it did not do any good...
BS...Google, FB, Banks etal...I OPT OUT every chance I get...when I did, I stopped getting targeted ads...No more searching for X and then getting a gazillion X's advertised to me for a month..
They (ISPs, Google etal) were legally liable if they violated the opt out. They didn't want to get sued.
They...no longer have to care..

(2) It's the internet...I don't like losing my privacy...but...

Seriously...So you are saying you oppose this bill to repeal the Opt Out..but support it?

Holy crap...What does being a Trump supporter demand of your brain???

Browsing History is picked up by ad-bots anyway and stored in databases.

Doesn't matter much who they think YOU are does it.

They are already being flooded with calls and emails in opposition to this. It is monetizing personal information.

It might very well take the same path as the Trumpcare bill.

originally posted by: xuenchen
Browsing History is picked up by ad-bots anyway and stored in databases.

Please provide a link supporting the process you describe.

And please explain why the Trump administration and GOP would be anti-privacy and pro ad-bot.

originally posted by: xuenchen
Browsing History is picked up by ad-bots anyway and stored in databases.

Doesn't matter much who they think YOU are does it.

This will go deeper than that. They would even be able sell your health information, and information about your children.

Trump wants to boost ISP's and businesses, and you will give up what little privacy you have left.

originally posted by: angeldoll

originally posted by: xuenchen
Browsing History is picked up by ad-bots anyway and stored in databases.

Doesn't matter much who they think YOU are does it.

Trump wants to boost ISP's and businesses, and you will give up what little privacy you have left.

Micro-targeting and data won him the election...

He is anti-privacy...

Rand Paul and one other senator were the only two GOP to show half-a-nut of resistance...Full balls would have been a no vote.

On Thursday afternoon, the Senate passed the resolution along strict party lines with a 50-48 vote.
With two senators, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky) and Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) voting absent, the full roll call is here

www.commondreams.org...

a reply to: BlueAjah

This isn't talking about the web services you use though. This isn't about Facebook or some social media site you sign up for. This is about your ISP. You're provider. All traffic goes through your provider and your provider has access to information beyond a social networking site or site that you may visit on the web.

They are literally your gateway to the internet right from the start. They are your first link to everything else you do online. They see everything. Not just for what you are doing but anyone else on your connection too. All devices that are using that gateway, everything.

Trump is proving repeatedly that he is only working for big business and money. He gives no thought or consideration to the individual person, as promised in his campaign speeches.

This might be the biggest "bait and switch" in history.

Here is the link to the final vote roll call, naming all the asshats who voted to sell what little on line privacy protections we had left.

a reply to: Indigo5

Indigo, maybe you're using the wrong browser. I switched over to IXQUICK, now Start Page. Its based in Holland, and I'm not seeing all of those ads, unless I e-mail to a commercial site, on my Google mail acc't.

a reply to: Indigo5

Current F.C.C. rules allow Web sites to track your behavior and sell information about you to ad-targeting companies

That means it's not necessarily just "Trump".

originally posted by: angeldoll

originally posted by: xuenchen
Browsing History is picked up by ad-bots anyway and stored in databases.

Doesn't matter much who they think YOU are does it.

This will go deeper than that. They would even be able sell your health information, and information about your children.

Trump wants to boost ISP's and businesses, and you will give up what little privacy you have left.

Yes.

So bad.

But Hipaa might prevent health privacy remain "private".

"Small government, big business" should be the Republican slogan. I guess they want government out of their lives so that big business can invade it instead. Lol.

a reply to: Indigo5

Might as we'll make it official... privacy, whats that? Anyone who thinks they enjoy privacy when they talk or type online is in denial anyway. Right up there when you get pulled over and the cops rifle your stuff, or stop and frisk you on the street or break in the door to your house.

Privacy? We are tagged and bagged from birth to the grave.

I'm am horrified that people aren't outraged over this.

Is this connected?

I was in the doctors office a couple of weeks ago for a check-up, blood work, and the nurse wanted to give my email address to the office, to send me a link to the new "health portal". They will no longer be calling your test results to you, but will be put them on this "portal", and you can go in with a password, and find the results of all your tests.

By the time I got home later that day, it was in my email, so I tried to set it up, but failed. I called the next morning (because I wanted this little curiosity of a service) and told them my trouble. She said "well, I will resend it, and you need to try it again, because we are supposed to have this with all our patients".

I didn't think anything about it, until now. Could these two things be connected? Has anybody else's doctor provided the same service recently?

I mean, we will be required to have very personal information on our computer?

a reply to: angeldoll

This has nothing to do with medical records.
HIPAA laws are still in effect.