With the reversal of FCC internet privacy regulations imminent, Comcast, Verizon and AT&T are pledging not to sell their customers’ browsing histories.
The FCC on Thursday proposed a set of privacy rules for Internet service providers that would significantly curb the ability of companies like Comcast and Verizon to share data about their customers’ online activities with advertisers without permission from users.
A fight over privacy at the FCC, sparked by last year’s net neutrality rules, is heating up. The commission is expected to craft regulations in the coming months on how broadband providers handle sensitive customer data — and advocates on both sides of the issue are gearing up to make their case.
More than 50 digital rights and consumer groups are pressuring the FCC to start drafting Internet privacy rules “as quickly as possible.” The groups sent a letter to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler arguing that increased monitoring by companies that provide Internet service can “have a chilling effect on speech and increase the potential for discriminatory practices.”
An FTC report calls for development of a system that would enable people to avoid having their actions monitored online, a move Internet-ad firms oppose.
