Your ISP Can Sell Your Browsing History Without Your Permission, Trump Makes It Official
Short Bytes: In a big blow to the privacy of American internet users, President Donald Trump has signed a resolution to repeal the FCC rules that forced the ISPs to seek customers’ consent before selling their browsing information. This has happened as ISPs argued that internet companies like Google and Facebook have an unfair advantage as they can endlessly track the internet users. This bill to overturn the FCC rules was already passed by the House and Senate.
On Monday, the United States President Donald Trump signed a resolution that would void the set of privacy rules adopted by the FCC last year during the Obama-era. These rules proposed that the Internet Service Provider must take consent from the customers before selling their browsing history to the third party advertisers.But, why did the Trump administration repeal these rules? This happened because the US internet service providers argued that the FCC’s rules favored tech giants like Google and Facebook and restricted the ISPs from getting the same privileges.
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This argument is flawed as the ISPs and tech companies have two very distinct jobs. While ISPs provide data services, the tech companies run web-based businesses.
Many critics have also predicted that the internet companies are now in a position to exploit the customers and charge them for keeping their internet history private.
Last week, the bill to void the FCC rules was passed by the House and Senate. After that, Trump had the power to veto the bill but he chose otherwise.
So, what should I do?
Well, you start by using a good VPN service and anonymity software like Tor. These practices will make sure that your ISP doesn’t see exactly what you’re browsing. Even if that’s not the case, the use of a VPN is highly recommended for security purposes.
What are your views regarding this big change? Share your views and take part in the discussion.
