Legislation would prevent internet service providers from selling personal, sensitive consumer information without consent

Washington (April 6, 2017) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, was joined today by ten other Senators in introducing legislation to restore broadband privacy rules that will protect consumers from having their personal, sensitive information sold to the highest bidder without their consent. The legislation reinstates the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules which require internet service providers to obtain consent before sharing their subscribers’ sensitive information and adopt reasonable data security protections. Last month, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate passed Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions, which President Donald Trump signed into law this week, formally rescinding the FCC’s broadband privacy rules. Without these strong rules in place, broadband providers can use, share, and sell Americans’ sensitive information without permission.

 

“Thanks to Congressional Republicans, corporations, not consumers, are in control of sensitive information about Americans’ health, finances, and children. The Republican roll-back of strong broadband privacy rules means ISP no longer stands for Internet Service Provider, it stands for ‘Information Sold for Profit’,” said Senator Markey.  “This legislation will put the rules back on the books to protect consumers from abusive invasions of their privacy. Americans should not have to forgo their fundamental right to privacy just because their homes and phones are connected to the internet.”

A copy of the legislation can be found HERE. 

The following Senators are co-sponsoring the bill:  Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.), Jeffrey A. Merkley (D-Ore.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Al Franken (D-Minn.).

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