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60 Consumer Groups Push FCC For Tough Broadband Privacy Rules

Back in 2008 Verizon argued that the broadband industry didn't need additional privacy protections (or opt in requirements) because "public shame" would keep the company honest. Seven years later and Verizon found itself at the center of a massive privacy scandal for injecting user-tracking headers into wireless customer traffic, a practice that existed for two years before security researchers noticed it, and almost another half a year before the company let consumers fully opt out.

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With the FCC recently ruling that ISPs are common carriers under Title II, the agency is beginning to explore whether it should use its newly-established authority to impose new consumer privacy protections. Consumer groups say they want the rule drafting process to be transparent, and the end rules to be more than just empty lip service.

In a new letter sent to the FCC (pdf), around 60 consumer groups are urging the FCC to quickly and clearly adopt "strong rules to protect consumers from having their personal data collected and shared by their broadband provider without affirmative consent, or for purposes other than providing broadband Internet access service."

"The proposed rules should also provide for notice of data breaches, and hold broadband providers accountable for any failure to take suitable precautions to protect personal data collected from users," adds the letter. "In addition, the rules should require broadband providers to clearly disclose their data collection practices to subscribers, and allow subscribers to ascertain to whom their data is disclosed."

The FCC has hinted that the rules have been on its radar for months now, and in a sign the agency intends to be relatively aggressive, it recently hired Stanford lawyer and computer scientist Jonathan Mayer to help consult on the rule creation. But much in the way the FCC has yet to crack down on obvious net neutrality violations, the FCC may be biding its time to see whether courts uphold its decision to reclassify ISPs as common carriers under Title II of the Communications Act.

Most recommended from 7 comments


rradina
join:2000-08-08
Chesterfield, MO

5 recommendations

rradina

Member

No Spying Period

How about just ruling carriers cannot even ask customers if it's OK to spy on them? Were they allowed to sell who you called and what you said when it was just POTS? Can mobile carriers sell who you call, what you say and GPS history? Why are network carriers different and why is there any question about whether or history can be shared/sold/mined/aggregated or acquired in any manner except by court order for a criminal investigation?
bop75
join:2013-11-08
0000

3 recommendations

bop75

Member

Win10

I hope this pig in a poke was brought up.