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Disapproval of FCC regulations a significant blow against privacy protection

nytimes.com

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Re: Disapproval of FCC regulations a significant blow against privacy protection

#41

Post by theseatoms »

good_sir_ant wrote: post #7

The article's main argument is that the ISPs are selling something that doesn't belong to them, but to the consumer. I don't like the idea of my personal information being sold, but how could you state this as fact? Shouldn't it be up to the consumer to choose to do business with a company that sells your personal info vs a company that does not?

> Shouldn't it be up to the consumer to choose to do business with a company that sells your personal info vs a company that does not?

Ideally, yes. But there's a lack of competition in the ISP industry, due to either government-granted monopolies or plain old high fixed costs, which create a barrier to entry.

Though, the historically low interest rate environment should minimize this "barrier to entry" issue.

Are there notable startups in the ISP space?

Re: Disapproval of FCC regulations a significant blow against privacy protection

#43

Post by accountface »

jvandonsel wrote: post #27
gbrown wrote: post #8

This is like FedEx or a privatized USPS being able to open your packages and read your mail without telling you. I pay you to carry my damn packets, keep your filthy hands off my data.

A better analogy would be FedEx selling your incoming and outgoing addresses and package weights to third parties, not necessarily the contents of your packages.

More like your landlord selling the keys to your apartment, but you still have the key to a series of safes inside. Everyone can get a lot of your stuff and probably watch you poop, but hopefully those safes are built well enough to keep everyone out of your valuables.

Re: Disapproval of FCC regulations a significant blow against privacy protection

#45

Post by bonyt »

good_sir_ant wrote: post #7

The article's main argument is that the ISPs are selling something that doesn't belong to them, but to the consumer. I don't like the idea of my personal information being sold, but how could you state this as fact? Shouldn't it be up to the consumer to choose to do business with a company that sells your personal info vs a company that does not?

Ideally, that may be true (though whether people realize the value of their online data is unclear) - however the market for internet service is far from perfect. Over half of Americans only have one choice in broadband providers (at 25Mpbs), and just under 15% have more than two to chose from (at any speed)[1]. The cost of entering the broadband market and laying last mile cables is simply too high for there to be meaningful competition in much of the US. Hopefully, a policy like dig once[2] will eventually create real competition in ISP market, but until then the largely monopolistic ISP industry cannot go unchecked.

[1]: https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/fcc-b...

[2]: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2015/09/22...

Re: Disapproval of FCC regulations a significant blow against privacy protection

#46

Post by Clanan »

Tom Wheeler, former FCC chairman and cable/wireless lobbyist, fails to charitably address why his opponents did what they did. To Republicans and opponents of his FCC chairmanship, this was about regulatory authority, not "selling your data to ISPs". They believe the FTC, not the FCC, should be the main privacy regulator as it has in the past. They also contend that ISPs are already disallowed from scooping and selling data without consent, and that the FCC already has authority to prosecute, via sections 201, 202 and 222 of the Communications Act.

Re: Disapproval of FCC regulations a significant blow against privacy protection

#47

Post by gbrown »

jvandonsel wrote: post #27
gbrown wrote: post #8

This is like FedEx or a privatized USPS being able to open your packages and read your mail without telling you. I pay you to carry my damn packets, keep your filthy hands off my data.

A better analogy would be FedEx selling your incoming and outgoing addresses and package weights to third parties, not necessarily the contents of your packages.

Only if every package and letter I sent was securely sealed so they couldn't get in.

Re: Disapproval of FCC regulations a significant blow against privacy protection

#48

Post by Operyl »

xienze wrote: post #40

So the only thing I don't understand as far as the fuss about this is concerned -- everything I've read indicates that this is undoing a protection put in place late last year. So essentially we've gone back in time six months ago or so. If ISPs weren't selling our info then when they could have, why does it logically follow that we're now in some uncharted territory of ISPs selling personal info? Or is this simply b…

Because why the push to undo something if they weren't planning to do it, or weren't already? I know Verizon has an opt in program for it where they gave you deals and free data.

Re: Disapproval of FCC regulations a significant blow against privacy protection

#49

Post by thomnottom »

j2bax wrote: post #3

Is there anything the average user can do to protect their data/privacy from their ISP?

Start with not using their DNS servers (OpenDNS https://www.opendns.com)

Install HTTPS Everywhere (https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere)

Install uBlock Origin (Chrome - https://chrome.google.com/.../ublock-origin / Firefox https://addons.mozilla.org/addon/ublock-origin/)

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