You have to marvel at just how dedicated Republicans are to making every individual American life more miserable. You know what Americans need less of, says Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake? Americans need less internet privacy. Stupid internet privacy rules, messing with the profit margins of gargantuan telecommunications companies.
The rules require broadband service providers to obtain permission from consumers before using certain personal information for marketing purposes.
The FCC passed the rules using its authority under the 2015 net neutrality rules, which said internet providers must treat all web traffic the same.
Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) this week said he is planning to introduce a resolution to undo the privacy rules, arguing that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) should have jurisdiction over privacy issues and not the FCC.
Telecoms companies have been lobbying for the rule change, because ... well, we all have a pretty good idea why. Democrats are opposed.
“Big broadband companies want to mine and sell consumers’ most sensitive personal information without any consent,” Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, said in a statement on Thursday. “Overturning broadband privacy protections is nothing more than Big Broadband’s way of pumping up its profits and undermining consumer rights.
This is just one small segment of the nation's "net neutrality" rules that's on the chopping block. Republicans want to roll back the whole thing—again, for the benefit of the corporations involved. With team Trump in charge of the FCC, they stand a good chance of being successful.