These are the 23 Senators that introduced a bill to let telecoms sell your private internet history
Protection of your Internet history is up in the air thanks to new, pending legislation. A new bill coming before Senate aims to completely dismantle the FCC’s ability to enact data security or online privacy protections for consumers under the powers of the Congressional Review Act. Senate Joint Resolution (S.J.Res 34) was introduced by Arizona Senator Jeff Flake and cosponsored by 23 other Senators. Its goal is to remove all the hard-earned net neutrality regulations gained to protect your internet history from advertisers and and worse. Specifically, the FCC had been able to prevent internet service providers (ISPs) from spying on your internet history, and selling what they gathered, without express permission. This legal protection on your internet history is currently under attack thanks to these 23 Senators and lots of ISP lobbying spend. While S.J.Res 34 has support from two dozen Republican Senators, Senators willing to champion the privacy of Americans’ internet history have also come out of the woodwork.
The House version of this bill is H.J.Res 86.
These 23 Senators want to let your internet history be sold
The list of 23 Senators cosponsoring this bill, including Senator Jeff Flake, is:
– John Barrasso (R-Wyo.)
– Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.)
– Roy Blunt (R-Mo.)
– John Boozman (R-Ark.)
– Shelly Moore Capito (R-W.Va.)
– Thad Cochran (R-Miss.)
– John Cornyn (R-Texas)
– Tom Cotton (R-Ark.)
– Ted Cruz (R-Texas)
– Deb Fischer (R-Neb.)
– Orrin Hatch (R-Utah)
– Dean Heller (R-Nev.)
– James Inhofe (R-Okla.)
– Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.)
– Mike Lee (R-Utah)
– Rand Paul (R-Ky.)
– Pat Roberts (R-Kan.)
– Marco Rubio (R-Fla.)
– Richard Shelby (R-Ala.)
– Dan Sullivan (R-Ala.)
– John Thune (R-S.D.)
– Roger Wicker (R-Miss.)
– Jerry Moran (R-Kan.)
Some politicians understand that S.J.Res 34 is a step back for Internet privacy
Today, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai appeared before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee for a hearing about Oversight of the FCC. While online privacy was not much on the agenda, it was very much on the minds of many Senators that oppose the end of net neutrality. Afterwards, according to PC World’s Grant Gross, Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey said:
“I fear [the privacy rollback] is just a preview of coming attractions. Big broadband companies don’t want to give consumer privacy protections the attention they deserve.”
Senator Markey also issued a statement specifically against Senator Flake’s resolution blocking FCC regulation of ISPs:
“Consumers will have no ability to stop Internet service providers from invading their privacy and selling sensitive information about their health, finances, and children to advertisers, insurers, data brokers or others who can profit off of this personal information, all without their affirmative consent.”
In a separate statement, Hawaiian Senator Brian Schatz said:
“If this [resolution] is passed, neither the FCC nor the FTC will have clear authority when it comes to how Internet service providers protect consumers’ data privacy and security.”
The end goal of passing ISP regulation onto the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will require further Congressional action, another privacy damaging step that is inevitably coming this year. Private Internet Access is supporting the EFF in calling all Americans to heed the call: “Don’t let Congress Undermine Our Online Privacy.” When S.J.Res 34 comes to a vote, make sure to take note of which Senators vote which way. It is important to hold politicians accountable for their stances and their actions.
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Editor’s note: Senator Ron Johnson is listed as a cosponsor twice by Senator Flake’s official announcement of S.J.Res 34 on his website. There are only 23 Senators sponsoring this bill.
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106 Comments
You guys need to print out this sj res 34 so it can be read to understand what it is. We are only getting your interpretation of it. I don’t believe that all these guys would be anti-citizen as you state. there is something else here you are not emphasizing.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-joint-resolution/34/text
They aren’t “Anti-citizen” they’re Pro-Corporation.
They believe that the government should not be able to restrict how ISP’s decide to make money. Even if it’s in a completely abhorrent manner like selling off private information, their response is always the same BS about how if consumers don’t like it they can just use another provider.
The problem for many, is that they can’t. In rural USA most towns have a single internet/cable provider. Because the provider made the city sign a contract with them saying that they would install the distribution infrastructure if the city would restrict any other cable/internet providers from entering into the city. That sounds reasonable enough at first, but what usually happens is they give kickbacks to the city and persuade them to sign non-competition contracts over and over and over. So there’s no hope of ever getting another provider in there to drive down cost. Why do you think they usually need your address before they can quote you a price? Because they take the people who don’t have a choice for as much as they can.
Because of their policies of allowing monopolization of corporations.
Now would be a good time to start an ISP that is committed to not collecting this data
See my post above about non-competition contracts.
You are right about that. What I’m thinking is a company that provides 4G LTE unlimited data plans using a compatible router or smart phones as an access point. Of course, whoever owns the cell towers could still collect and sell data. Maybe it is time for some new sort of Internet. In urban areas, a free network could be made by meshing together a bunch of wireless routers.
Mesh Networking could be a solution if it wasn’t already regulated to the point where it’s not a viable option. Last Mile ISPs have already covered their asses on that. Remember, ISPs think that government regulation is BAD unless they’re using it to eliminate or reduce competition.
Those bastards. Now I see why the mesh network developers are mostly in Germany.
Yep, and as for the 4G LTE -the wireless carriers have purchased the majority of that portion of the radio spectrum from the FCC. The only frequencies that you can transmit without a license have severe limitations on the amount of effective radiated power (ERP)that you can run. Even having an Amateur Radio license that allows you to run a significant amount of power limits you to non commercial traffic (AKA almost anything online)
STEP1: Remove any chance of competition
STEP2: Reject any legislation that might get in your way
STEP3: $$$$$$$$$$$$$
STEP4: Praise the free market economy
Tell you what Senators… Let me have YOUR browsing history from all of YOUR computers (even the one you have stashed) and then we’ll talk
I would LOVE to see a massive rollout of Tor routers, I mean on a grade scale to the point that the majority of U.S. Internet traffic would be encrypted and obfuscated. “You want to sell out our privacy? Fine, then we’ll all take it back. What now, bitches?”
That is exactly what will happen. Tor routers, new browsers, the works.
…enemies foreign and “domestic.” Italy dealt with their Nazis and a dictator. Does the US have what it takes?