Amid all the political brouhaha (emphasis on the HA-HA) these days, good news may get buried.
So let's not miss this: The FCC has approved new rules that would require internet service providers to get your permission to sell and share your personal data to others. As Chairman Tom Wheeler said in releasing this news, "It is the consumers' information. How it is used should be the consumers' choice."
This development is an immensely positive step toward data protection and privacy in general.
Or would be, if we could count on it. Unfortunately it is not yet clear how and when it would be implemented and, as with any ruling that places an obstacle to corporate exploitation of the consumer, it may never be implemented. The referenced news article above points out that the big ISPs "may" challenge the ruling in court (gee, do you think?). Further, the decision came as a 3-2 vote along party lines; but the five commissioners are appointed by the President, with the current chairman's term expiring in 2018, so a reversal is very possible if the White House changes hands.
The providers don't concern me nearly as much as the retailers and sites like Facebook that sell or share your personal information with their "partners."
Posted by: PiedType | November 01, 2016 at 10:35 AM