American internet users are freaking out about losing rights to their browser history
THIS is not good news for Americans who want to keep their browsing history secret.
INTERNET users in the United States are losing their minds after policy makers employed a little-used act to overturn new consumer privacy laws that required ISPs to get permission before selling off their customer’s internet history.
US senators voted in favour of removing the Obama-era regulation passed last year which prevented internet service providers from sharing people’s data and internet histories without their knowledge.
In a move that has angered many on social media, the vote was the first step in what could be a considerable blow to the privacy rights of internet users in the country.
“This resolution is a direct attack on consumer rights, on privacy, on rules that afford basic protection against intrusive and illegal interference with consumers’ use of social media sites and websites that often they talk for granted,” US Senator Richard Blumenthal from Connecticut said before the vote took place.
In Australia, the government has mandated that customer’s internet metadata is tracked and collected for two years by ISPs including the websites we visit, and be made available to the government upon request. As yet, such data cannot be sold off to advertising companies or other businesses.
However there are ways your browser history might find its way into the hands of third party companies. For instance in 2015 antivirus software company AVG revealed it was selling user’s data including web browsing history, search query history and metadata to third parties in order to keep its products free.
And of course, Google and Facebook already tracks your online activity as much as they can.
But the latest measure in the US represents a worrying trend against online privacy rights for consumers.
“Advertisers and marketers are lining up to get access to all the information that’s now available about us,” said Jeff Chester of the Center for Digital Democracy, which advocates for tougher internet privacy measures in the US.
The new measure still needs to clear the House of Representatives and be signed into law by Donald Trump before it can become official — and number of organised campaigns have popped up online with the goal of squashing the changes.
Republicans laugh as ISPs sell our souls and browser histories to every buyer they can find.
— Synonyms for Justin (@Justin_Writing) March 23, 2017
You know, for all @realDonaldTrump hates being wiretapped, I wonder if he'll veto that bill that'll let us buy his staff's browser history.
— Dan Kaminsky (@dakami) March 24, 2017
Trump Inauguration: Starting today, America belongs to you, the people.
— Donald J Orwell (@DonaldJOrwell) March 23, 2017
Today: Republicans let ISPs spy on and sell your browser history.
I'm just imagining a lot of tailored ads appearing on my web browser for therapy when they see my porn history. https://t.co/78cyMYsAo6
— Nate Copley (@NateCComedy) March 23, 2017
In other news, Comcast added a "privacy package" to cable plans to avoid them selling your "interesting" browser history to partners pic.twitter.com/QHJkgl0jTP
— Doug Rathbone (@dougrathbone) March 23, 2017
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