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U.S. Senate votes to overturn Obama broadband privacy rules

JumpinJack

JumpinJack

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The U. S. Senate voted today to repeal internet privacy rules.

Under the rules approved by the Federal Communications Commission in October under then-President Barack Obama, internet providers would need to obtain consumer consent before using precise geolocation, financial information, health information, children's information and web browsing history for advertising and internal marketing. The vote is a victory for internet providers such as AT&T Inc Comcast Corp and Verizon Communications Inc that had strongly opposed the rules. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chris Reese)
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U.S. Senate votes to overturn Obama broadband privacy rules | Reuters

This is about financial information and health insurance information and other things for which we've become to expect are secured, except for illegal hacking, is my understanding. I think that now our internet service providers can start selling more of our information than they already do. Or maybe any corporation can now legally access our previously secured information, instead of illegally hacking? Not sure how this will shake out.
 
JumpinJack said:
The U. S. Senate voted today to repeal internet privacy rules.


U.S. Senate votes to overturn Obama broadband privacy rules | Reuters

This is about financial information and health insurance information and other things for which we've become to expect are secured, except for illegal hacking, is my understanding. I think that now our internet service providers can start selling more of our information than they already do. Or maybe any corporation can now legally access our previously secured information, instead of illegally hacking? Not sure how this will shake out.
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How would internet providers know anything about my health or children? I think it's possibly an exaggeration. There is just no way for Verizon to know anything like that about me.
 
JumpinJack said:
The U. S. Senate voted today to repeal internet privacy rules.


U.S. Senate votes to overturn Obama broadband privacy rules | Reuters

This is about financial information and health insurance information and other things for which we've become to expect are secured, except for illegal hacking, is my understanding. I think that now our internet service providers can start selling more of our information than they already do. Or maybe any corporation can now legally access our previously secured information, instead of illegally hacking? Not sure how this will shake out.
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I gguess it's time to looking into how to move anonymously in the net.
 
JumpinJack said:
The U. S. Senate voted today to repeal internet privacy rules.


U.S. Senate votes to overturn Obama broadband privacy rules | Reuters

This is about financial information and health insurance information and other things for which we've become to expect are secured, except for illegal hacking, is my understanding. I think that now our internet service providers can start selling more of our information than they already do. Or maybe any corporation can now legally access our previously secured information, instead of illegally hacking? Not sure how this will shake out.
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No. Nothing changes from the way it is right now. The FCC rules in question haven't taken effect yet.
 
holbritter said:
How would internet providers know anything about my health or children? I think it's possibly an exaggeration. There is just no way for Verizon to know anything like that about me.
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You'r kidding.. Right?

If I knew your name I could easily find all that and MORE about you.
 
JumpinJack said:
The U. S. Senate voted today to repeal internet privacy rules.


U.S. Senate votes to overturn Obama broadband privacy rules | Reuters

This is about financial information and health insurance information and other things for which we've become to expect are secured, except for illegal hacking, is my understanding. I think that now our internet service providers can start selling more of our information than they already do. Or maybe any corporation can now legally access our previously secured information, instead of illegally hacking? Not sure how this will shake out.
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How can verizon or at%t get my financial or health records without illegal hacking?
 
And this is just another example of the Republicans saying they are for the little guy, but proving they are 100% all in for the Corps. The big boys ISP's can now secretly sell all the personal info on you that they can get their hands on. The GOP is lifting almost all rules surrounding what ISPs can do with their customers' data.

90% of consumers think they've lost control on how their personal info is collected by companies. But of course the GOP doesn't care, they continue to throw the little guy under the bus. Funny thing is the Trump people who say they voted for Trump because he's anti-establishment and anti-elitist and for the 'little guy' will defend this, and defend Trump when he signs it.
 
holbritter said:
How would internet providers know anything about my health or children? I think it's possibly an exaggeration. There is just no way for Verizon to know anything like that about me.
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Through your entire browsing history. Also, they can literally read everything you send that isn't encrypted.
 
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holbritter said:
Yeah, how?
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You use online billing? WebMD? Your kids do their homework online? You use email? You shop? Investments?

I'm not going to go on. Anyone even paying a little attention to our online world knows how easy it is to track users, to know they likes and dislikes, and to get their personal info.

VPN's help. But they are not a silver bullet.
 
SenorXm/Sirius said:
You use online billing? WebMD? Your kids do their homework online? You use email? You shop? Investments?

I'm not going to go on. Anyone even paying a little attention to our online world knows how easy it is to track users, to know they likes and dislikes, and to get their personal info.

VPN's help. But they are not a silver bullet.
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Oh, and hey, look at that! WebMD is unencrypted! Every search is literally seen by my isp.
 
SenorXm/Sirius said:
You use online billing? WebMD? Your kids do their homework online? You use email? You shop? Investments?

I'm not going to go on. Anyone even paying a little attention to our online world knows how easy it is to track users, to know they likes and dislikes, and to get their personal info.

VPN's help. But they are not a silver bullet.
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No, I don't use online billing or WebMD. So you are saying Verizon can hack my email? That's about the only place I would have any "health" information, and very little at that. Maybe other people let their information out there.

But I'd need to read the actual bill to see if it says they can legally do any of that. Your browsing history yes. When I look up info for anything, next thing I know there are ads everywhere for what I was looking for. But that's not new, that's been like that for awhile now.
 
The objection to the rule is this:

The FCC rules were stricter than the FTC rules. Why does that matter? Because ISPs would be governed by the FCC rules, but Google, Facebook, Amazon, among others, are governed by the FTC rules.

Thus, these FCC rules don't affect Google, Facebook, Amazon, et al.

So, the FCC rules give an unfair advantage to Google, Facebook, Amazon, et al. And those companies are much, much bigger, and play a much, much bigger role in your everyday life and online experience, than ISPs do. After all, you use several, maybe even dozens, of ISPs every day, so no one ISP has as much to do with you than those companies do.

So, in fact, it's not siding with the massive corporations over the little guy; it's "siding" with smaller companies as opposed to the giants, to keep the playing field more level.
 
Harshaw said:
The objection to the rule is this:

The FCC rules were stricter than the FTC rules. Why does that matter? Because ISPs would be governed by the FCC rules, but Google, Facebook, Amazon, among others, are governed by the FTC rules.

Thus, these FCC rules don't affect Google, Facebook, Amazon, et al.

So, the FCC rules give an unfair advantage to Google, Facebook, Amazon, et al. And those companies are much, much bigger, and play a much, much bigger role in your everyday life and online experience, than ISPs do. After all, you use several, maybe even dozens, of ISPs every day, so no one ISP has as much to do with you than those companies do.

So, in fact, it's not siding with the massive corporations over the little guy; it's "siding" with smaller companies as opposed to the giants, to keep the playing field more level.
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When explained like that it makes more sense, and doesn't seem like that big of a deal if it's already happening.
 
Harshaw said:
The objection to the rule is this:

The FCC rules were stricter than the FTC rules. Why does that matter? Because ISPs would be governed by the FCC rules, but Google, Facebook, Amazon, among others, are governed by the FTC rules.

Thus, these FCC rules don't affect Google, Facebook, Amazon, et al.

So, the FCC rules give an unfair advantage to Google, Facebook, Amazon, et al. And those companies are much, much bigger, and play a much, much bigger role in your everyday life and online experience, than ISPs do. After all, you use several, maybe even dozens, of ISPs every day, so no one ISP has as much to do with you than those companies do.

So, in fact, it's not siding with the massive corporations over the little guy; it's "siding" with smaller companies as opposed to the giants, to keep the playing field more level.
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I choose whether or not I want to use Google, Facebook, Amazon, etc., I have no choice but to use an ISP. Everything I do on the internet goes through my ISP. Please tell me how ISPs like Comcast, Verizon, and AT&T are the "little" guys.
 
holbritter said:
When explained like that it makes more sense, and doesn't seem like that big of a deal if it's already happening.
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It should also be noted that the FTC rules prohibit the sharing of health data, financial information, Social Security numbers, so all the histrionics and "OH NOESS!!!!!" in this thread about THAT are just ignorant bloviating.
 
holbritter said:
No, I don't use online billing or WebMD. So you are saying Verizon can hack my email? That's about the only place I would have any "health" information, and very little at that. Maybe other people let their information out there.

But I'd need to read the actual bill to see if it says they can legally do any of that. Your browsing history yes. When I look up info for anything, next thing I know there are ads everywhere for what I was looking for. But that's not new, that's been like that for awhile now.
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So you go to the Doc and he gives you some info on a health concern, you never looked up what he/she said? Or a prescription he/she prescribed?

Again this is just another example of the little guy losing more and more control. Often the same people who bitch and moan about Big Brother and the 'nanny state' have no problem with Corporate America infringing on every part of people's lives. I see no difference if it's the government or AT&T reading my mail.

But there's a anti-establishment populist in the WH now. He'll protect us from those evil establishment Republicans. lol
 
Carjosse said:
I choose whether or not I want to use Google, Facebook, Amazon, etc., I have no choice but to use an ISP. Please tell me how ISPs like Comcast, Verizon, and AT&T are the "little" guys.
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I didn't say they were "little guys." :roll: I said they were smaller companies.

And if you think you're only on Google, Facebook, and Amazon's turf when you choose to be, you're being pretty naive.

In any case, I'm telling you what IS, not what you should think about it.
 
holbritter said:
How would internet providers know anything about my health or children? I think it's possibly an exaggeration. There is just no way for Verizon to know anything like that about me.
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Uh. You are wrong. You go through their DNS servers. Therefore , any solitary web site you visit will be known by them, unless you buy a private third party VPN that has encryption.

They know what sites you visit, the searches you did, and everything.
 
RAMOSS said:
Uh. You are wrong. You go through their DNS servers. Therefore , any solitary web site you visit will be known by them, unless you buy a private third party VPN that has encryption.

They know what sites you visit, the searches you did, and everything.
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They know the sites you go to, but can't see the information that's encrypted, so you have to make sure the https (or picture of a lock) is everywhere you go. Which is basically the point: you now have to play Junior Counterintelligence Operative so that your own isp doesn't see the totality of everything you do.
 
By the way, I'm curious what anybody thinks about changing your dns address in order to get around your isp viewing your traffic. Such as, say, openDNS. I wouldn't go with Google DNS because they specifically sell your browsing history to advertisers (that's their whole point). I can't seem to figure out openDNS's business model, though.

Ah, I found this to blog which goes a way to answering that question: OpenDNS, should you use it? - SecuritySpread

tldr version: openDNS almost certainly shares/sells your browsing history.

And that's basically why, if you value privacy, the regulation against your isp selling your browsing history is a really good idea. VPNs and alternate DNS addresses are impossible to verify and audit for privacy, unlike your isp which a regulating agency can actually oversee.
 
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When the Republicans remove/rewrite government regulations, you can pretty much bet the farm that the beneficiaries will be corporate.
 
Rogue Valley said:
When the Republicans remove/rewrite government regulations, you can pretty much bet the farm that the beneficiaries will be corporate.
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Yep, and there doesn't appear to be anywhere to turn to. After a bit more investigation into alternate DNS services, the trade-off is you're able to reach websites faster and in return they sell your browsing history. That's the business model.

The best I can say at this point is that for a paid VPN with a long history and reputation, they have a privacy statement you can read and you can decide for yourself if it meets your needs. Technically, turning around and selling your browsing history regardless of the privacy statement might be illegal, but unless you work for the VPN and have oversight authority, you still can't know what they're really doing.

But all of this is a giant wet fart in the public's mind because "privacy" is an intangible concept. If removing your privacy were the equivalent of taking away your house, food, and health, that would be one thing. But privacy is frankly too high on the Maslow's Hierarchy for most people to grasp.
 
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