FCC's Pai Moves to Kill Consumer Broadband Privacy Protections
New FCC Boss Ajit Pai says he's preparing to eliminate new broadband industry consumer privacy protections, just as giant broadband carriers had requested. The protections were passed last year, and simply require that ISPs clearly disclose what personal data is being collected, and who it is being sold to. In some instances, the rules require users to opt in before more sensitive personal data (like financial) is shared. Broadband providers were quick to complain, insisting the rules confused consumers and somehow hindered their ability to innovate.
Pai signaled the move in a late Friday e-mail intended to help the news get lost ahead of the weekend.
"Chairman Pai believes that the best way to protect the online privacy of American consumers is through a comprehensive and uniform regulatory framework," the FCC said. "All actors in the online space should be subject to the same rules, and the federal government shouldn’t favor one set of companies over another. Therefore, he has advocated returning to a technology-neutral privacy framework for the online world and harmonizing the FCC’s privacy rules for broadband providers with the FTC’s standards for others in the digital economy."
"Unfortunately, one of the previous administration’s privacy rules that is scheduled to take effect on March 2 is not consistent with the FTC’s privacy standards," says the new FCC. "Therefore, Chairman Pai is seeking to act on a request to stay this rule before it takes effect on March 2."
https://www.dslreports.com/shownews/FCCs-Pai-Moves-to-Kill-Consumer-Broadband-Privacy-Protections-139035