SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
from the How-much-does-a-politician's-browsing-history-cost? dept.
Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:
Back in 2014 over 3 million Internet users told the U.S. government loudly and clearly: we value our online security, we value our online privacy, and we value net neutrality. Our voices helped convince the FCC to enact smart net neutrality regulations—including long-needed privacy rules.
But it appears some members of Congress didn't get the message, because they're trying to roll back the FCC's privacy rules right now without having anything concrete ready to replace them. We're talking here about basic requirements, like getting your explicit consent before using your private information to do anything other than provide you with Internet access (such as targeted advertising). Â Given how much private information your ISP has about you, strict limits on what they do with it are essential.
[...] Late last year, the FCC passed rules that would require ISPs to protect your private information. It covered the things you would usually associate with having an account with a major company (your name and address, financial information, etc.) but also things like any records they keep on your browsing history, geolocation information (think cell phones), and the content of your communications. Overall, the rules were pretty darn good.
But now, Senator Flake (R-AZ) and Representative Blackburn (R-TN) want to use a tool known as a Congressional Review Act [CRA] resolution to totally repeal those protections. The CRA allows Congress to veto any regulation written by a federal agency (like the FCC). Worse yet, it forbids the agency from passing any "substantially similar" regulations in the future, so the FCC would be forbidden from ever trying to regulate ISP privacy practices. At the same time, some courts have limited the Federal Trade Commission's ability protect your privacy, too.
With the hands of two federal agencies tied, ISPs themselves would be largely in change of protecting their customer's privacy. In other words, the fox will be guarding the henhouse.
[...] So please, take action and call your senator and representative today, and tell them not to use the CRA to repeal the FCC's privacy rules.
A story on Ars Technica notes:
As expected, Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) and 23[sic] Republican co-sponsors introduced the resolution yesterday. The measure would use lawmakers' power under the Congressional Review Act [CRA] to ensure that the FCC rulemaking "shall have no force or effect." The resolution would also prevent the FCC from issuing similar regulations in the future.
Flake's announcement said he's trying to "protect consumers from overreaching Internet regulation." Flake also said that the resolution "empowers consumers to make informed choices on if and how their data can be shared," but he did not explain how it will achieve that.
Flake called the FCC's privacy rulemaking "midnight regulation," even though it was approved by the commission in October 2016, before the presidential election, after a months-long rulemaking process.
"The FCC's midnight regulation does nothing to protect consumer privacy," Flake said. "It is unnecessary, confusing, and adds yet another innovation-stifling regulation to the Internet." Flake's announcement also said that the FCC-imposed "restrictions have the potential to negatively impact consumers and the future of Internet innovation."
[...] Flake's co-sponsors are US Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Shelly Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Dean Heller (R-Nev.), James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), Dan Sullivan (R-Ark.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.)[sic], and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.).
Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) offered similar criticism. "Big broadband barons and their Republican allies want to turn the telecommunications marketplace into a Wild West where consumers are held captive with no defense against abusive invasions of their privacy by internet service providers," Markey said. "Consumers will have no ability to stop Internet service providers from invading their privacy and selling sensitive information about their health, finances, and children to advertisers, insurers, data brokers or others who can profit off of this personal information, all without their affirmative consent."
[Update: As pointed out by reader tangomargarine, Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) is listed twice in the list taken from Ars Technica. Reviewing the proposed resolution reveals Sen. Flake and 21 (not 23) co-signers. Further, Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) is listed by Ars as being a signer, but his name is not listed on the resolution. --martyb]
-- submitted from IRC
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @05:35PM (6 children)
To be fair to trump supporters, not that they have ever been ..
You really didn't think that by placing your life, country, family, and well being solely in the hands of the biggest group of greedy billionaire robber barons on earth, or by putting a raving lunatic that appears now to be retarded or insane or both, in the white house would work out differently that this, .. and what is to follow? You really didn't think these assholes would decimate and tear the country apart so fast? You really didn't think they would instead bring in a totalitarian police state on your stupid asses?
I really want to hear what all you stupid motherfuckers were thinking?
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @07:55PM (1 child)
I really want to hear what all you stupid motherfuckers were thinking?
Remember all that bullshit about voting for a guy you'd like to have a beer with?
Lots of people thought that was about voting for somebody who was likeable.
Its actually about voters picking someone they think likes them.
All those authoritarian and racist assholes saw someone in Trump that would approve of them.
When they said things like, "finally a politician who tells it like it is" what they really meant was "finally a politician who tells me I'm right."
And that's all it took.
Everybody wants to be loved. Those dipshits voted for someone they thought would love them.
Like teenage fangirls imagining romance with singers in boy-bands.
They loved trump because they thought he loved them. He say it all the time too. [usatoday.com] Just like a guy who tells a girl he loves her so she will have sex with him and then the next day acts he doesn't even know her...
(Score: 2) by NotSanguine on Saturday March 11 2017, @02:28AM
Everybody wants to be loved. Those dipshits voted for someone they thought would love them.
The People Are Revolting! [youtube.com]
No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10 2017, @09:15PM (1 child)
To be absolutely fair, the "other choice" (because if people would stop acting like elections are sportsball games they'd realize that there were more than two choices!!!!)
Anyway, the "other choice" also were greedy billionaire robber barons.
However, I would say that I am absolutely fucking impressed at how quickly this administration is tearing the country apart. I never thought government was remotely capable of having that kind of agility.
She lost, so I got over it. I told myself that it wasn't the end of the world, told other people I wasn't worried, and truth be told I thought there'd be some good things as well like the potential of better relations with Russia.
Holy fuck am I capable of self-delusion sometimes.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 11 2017, @03:04AM
I was no fan of hillary either but I've watched Trump for the last 40 years and know for a fact that man is completely bat-shit-crazy. Why the fuck would anyone with an IQ > 10 vote for satan in the flesh? Hell, just google the song "trump the monster ego" for an example. Google "Trump + bankruptcies" for a real treat at what a bastard and a disaster that man really is.
Simple test, if you're uncomfortable leaving your child in a room alone with either hillary or trump, then go for bernie. He wasn't loony scary at all. Of course with a republican congress and senate, bernie as with obama, wouldn't get anything done because of stonewalling and we would still suck, but at least we wouldn't be left with a smoldering ruins once this hoard is done raping and pillaging under the guise of "Community Enhancement".
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 11 2017, @06:20AM (1 child)
Both parties are this bad. The Democrats are just as corrupt, but they just do a better job of hiding it. Then people get sick of getting screwed over by one party for 5-10 years, so some small number (in fact, all it takes is a tiny fraction in a first-past-the-post voting system) decide they'd rather get fucked by the other and put them in power. Until the United States becomes a democracy, it will always be this way.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 11 2017, @05:08PM
Started out as a repub. Raygun lied way too much, I went Dem. Now hate both as lepers and the only way to save the country now is complete removal of them all. Top to bottom. Blessed scroll of genocide time.