05/26/2017

"Browser Act" Brings Back Internet Privacy Rules, Extends Them Beyond ISPs

The proposed legislation has support from some industry groups

Rep. Marsha Blackburn, a prominent critic of the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) internet privacy rules, which were recently rolled back by Congress, could revive those rules with a new piece of legislation—but make them also apply to websites at large. The approach has raised concerns from observers.

Earlier this year, the passage of legislation targeted at revoking FCC oversight on online privacy for ISPs drew a major outcry from online observers. Now, the heart of those privacy rules is being brought back to life. Sort of.

This week, Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced the “Browser Act,” a bill that would reapply those internet privacy rules to ISPs—as well as to search engines, social networks, and other websites, which are referred to as “edge providers” in industry parlance. It would put millions of websites in a position where they would have to ask consumers for the right to sell their data, turning what traditionally has been an opt-out mechanism into an opt-in mechanism.

Please click here to read the complete article from Associations Now.