Can Someone Here Explain The Outrage Over This Internet Privacy Bill?

Part of the problem for me is that Google and amazon use those techniques for their own benefit. If you don't like it you don't have to use them.

Now your isp, which most people only have one option can sell that to anyone that can write a big enough check. You have no choice in the matter because internet companies have regional monopolies and can sell your history to anyone they want.

What pisses me off most is that I already pay ridiculous amounts for internet service and now they can double dip off of me by selling my info. I think a fair solution would be for the providers to ask your permission and give you a discount if you agree to have your info tracked and sold. It will be a cold day in hell before that happens though.

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So our info won't be out there for public consumption

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In theory it could be. If you pissed off your neighbor and he has a shitload of money and too much time on his hands he could purchase yours and release it.

I have no idea how it is going to work though. I bet you just have to buy the info in bulk. Example- I call cox and pay a price for 10,000 users within a certain demographic or region.

I doubt if you will be able to call and ask for one user in particular. If so that will be some scary shite. People will start ruining anyone they don't like.

Well how is this guy who raised $100k yesterday on gofundme planning on buying individual congressmens data??? That's some weird shite if he can do that

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I don't like this thing one bit, but I seriously doubt anyone is going to be able to call up the ISP with a CC and say "Hi. I would like to buy SG_Geauxs browsing history please."

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I dunno. I mean for the right price, im sure you could make a lot of things happen.

I do know that my vpn will now be running 100% of the time

This is bullshite. You had one agency empowered with protecting our internet privacy, the FTC. Obama's administration assigned that authority to the FCC as well. Two agencies doing the same thing. The House voted to take it back from the FCC is all. Everything else you hear about it is spin, and wishful thinking.

More Info Here

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This is bullshite. You had one agency empowered with protecting our internet privacy, the FTC. Obama's administration assigned that authority to the FCC as well. Two agencies doing the same thing. The House voted to take it back from the FCC is all. Everything else you hear about it is spin, and wishful thinking.

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Sorry, but this is wrong. The FTC can regulate internet companies like Facebook. ISPs (AT&T, Verizon, Cox, Suddenlink, etc.) are classified as common carriers (like phone companies) so they can't be regulated by the FTC.

These ISPs argue that they should be treated just like internet based technology companies, but most people don't have a choice of who provides their internet service. If I don't like how Facebook or Google use my personal data, I can choose to use a different service. If I don't like how my ISP uses my personal data, I'm screwed. Plus, your ISP knows WAY more about you than any of these other companies could ever hope to know. Your ISP knows what sites you visit, how often you visit them, when you wake up, where you shop, your financial info, where your kids go to school, etc.

This issue should go beyond party affiliation. Lack of privacy is bad for all of us.

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If I don't like how my ISP uses my personal data, I'm screwed. Plus, your ISP knows WAY more about you than any of these other companies could ever hope to know. Your ISP knows what sites you visit, how often you visit them, when you wake up, where you shop, your financial info, where your kids go to school, etc.

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While I agree with you on principle, I literally wake up not giving a frick about this stuff. If someone wanted to release that my kids go to school X, that I work at place Y and that I go to site Z for porn - knock yourself the frick out.

You could've just asked me and I would've told you all of that info face to face, like a god damn man.

Now, I think the people that should be worried are the people doing weird shite like donkey porn sites so maybe they have reason to be embarrassed?

9th Circuit Court Ruling

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The common carrier exemption in section 5 of the FTC Act carves out a group of entities based on their status as common carriers. Those entities are not covered by section 5 even as to non-common carrier activities. Because AT&T was a common carrier, it cannot be liable for the violations alleged by the FTC. The district court’s denial of AT&T’s motion to dismiss is reversed, and the case is remanded for entry of an order of dismissal.

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Don't search engines like Google and Amazon use your browsing history to come up with suggestions for you right now?

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Yes and no. There are ways you can surf the internet and limit your exposure and trackability to companies like Google. But your ISP sees everything you're doing and the only way limit that is to either use a VPN or use another ISP. Most people don't have many choices for ISPs.

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Im just trying to understanding what is happening that is upsetting everyone so much.

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Most people are just reacting to someone making money off of them without their permission. We've come to expect some sort of exchange for giving up our information and these cases the ISPs are just padding their bottom lines by selling you without telling you about it.

To me the real danger is them building detailed profiles and eventually having a data breach. Just think if you were a con artist and could simply do a search for the most vulnerable marks. Newly widowed women, people looking into adoption, people with a terminal illness.

Amazon and Google build their own infrastructure and know that their customer data is one of their biggest business assets, so I trust them to safeguard it. I don't think any other companies have the necessary technical expertise combined with motivation to safeguard data. Maybe Microsoft now that they've shifted their strategy to cloud services, but that's it. I hate to even think about government agencies handling sensitive data. It's bad enough they have our social security numbers.

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To me the real danger is them building detailed profiles and eventually having a data breach. Just think if you were a con artist and could simply do a search for the most vulnerable marks. Newly widowed women, people looking into adoption, people with a terminal illness.

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There doesn't even have to be a data breach, these data brokers willingly sell info about vulnerable people.

InfoUSA advertised lists of "Elderly Opportunity Seekers," 3.3 million older people "looking for ways to make money," and "Suffering Seniors," 4.7 million people with cancer or Alzheimer's disease. "Oldies but Goodies" contained 500,000 gamblers older than 55 for 8.5 cents apiece. It said about one list: "These people are gullible. They want to believe that their luck can change."