The U.S. Senate passed and sent to the House a resolution to revoke several broadband privacy rules. Introduced earlier this month by Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) and co-sponsored by Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) and 23 others, the resolution would use the Congressional Review Act, which allows federal lawmakers to vacate recent agency decisions.
The broadband privacy rules, passed last October under former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, impose new reporting requirements on internet service providers. Among others, the regulations require carriers to obtain opt-in consent before using subscriber data for ad targeting.
Broadband carriers say the rules for carriers are more stringent than those imposed on other internet providers; they prefer FTC regs which recommend web companies allow customers to opt out from data collecting and sharing, Inside Towers reported.
CTIA President/CEO Meredith Attwell Baker praised the Senate action, thanking lawmakers for “seeking a commonsense and harmonized approach to protecting Americans’ privacy. Wireless carriers are committed to safeguarding consumer privacy, and we support regulatory clarity and uniformity across our digital economy.”
USTelecom, too supported the action. “Consumers deserve a single, clear framework for how their private online information is protected and consistent standards for how – or if – data can be shared by companies. The step the Senate took today will remove the conflicting set of privacy protections set in motion by the FCC rules adopted last October,” said USTelecom President/CEO Jonathan Spalter.
The vote was along party lines, with 50 Republicans approving the measure and 48 Democrats rejecting it, reported Reuters.
In a joint statement, Democratic FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn and Democratic FTC Commissioner Terrell McSweeny said the resolution “will frustrate the FCC’s future efforts to protect the privacy of voice and broadband customers. It also creates a massive gap in consumer protection law as broadband and cable companies now have no discernible privacy requirements.”
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai told reporters after Thursday’s FCC meeting that there continue to be privacy rules on the books to protect consumers. His own goal for privacy is to “ensure the FCC framework establishes a level playing field” across the internet ecosystem.
March 24, 2017
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