Internet Privacy Regulations
You might be aware of the fact that Facebook, Google, and many other popular websites collect reams of user data. However, they are not the only ones who collect user data. Internet providers such as Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon also collect usage and statistics of their customers.
The Federal Communications Commission decided to restrict the said group of internet service providers from collecting data of their subscribers. The FCC introduced a new set of privacy rules, which restricted the broadband firms from collecting user data. However, reports from several reliable sources indicate that the agency is planning to change the course now. In a recent statement, representative Mark Wigfield confirmed that the FCC has decided to delay the implementation of these rules.
As per the FCC rules, the internet providers will have to initially acquire a user consent before using the health and financial details, location data, and other personal details of their customers for internet marketing and advertising. Reports claim that these requirements may result in an uneven playing field, because this move will restrict the telecom companies such as Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon from collecting user data, while companies such as Google and Facebook, who simply use the internet, will not be restricted.
US Telecom Companies
The internet providers described these rules as “the imposition of significantly more costly and onerous restrictions on ISP use of online consumer data than all other online entities.” However, Wigfield replied that, “[FCC] Chairman [Ajit] Pai believes that the best way to protect the online privacy of American consumers is through a comprehensive and uniform regulatory framework. 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.”
The internet service providers had earlier welcomed a decision from Mr. Pai, where he decided to scrap a rule on “net neutrality”, which might have required the ISPs to treat all online contents as equal. Reports indicate that the new decisions from FCC might bring benefits to internet service providers, but they might not benefit internet users and websites.
The internet providers who collect your personal data can target users by ads, which are geared towards a user’s location or interests. Many internet companies have been employing this practice for years, and it even drives the business of some of these companies.
