Online Privacy Protections Gone

by Stephen Lendman

Last Thursday, majority Senate Republican members passed SJ Res. 34, a joint resolution, rescinding FCC broadband privacy rules.

On Tuesday, House members followed suit, Trump sure to sign the measure into law, letting telecommunications and cable companies sell private customer information for profit without their permission - an infringement of their privacy rights.

Free Press Action Fund head Craig Aaron said the following:

"Ignoring calls from thousands of their constituents, House Republicans just joined their colleagues in the Senate in violating internet users' privacy rights." 

"Apparently they see no problem with cable and phone companies snooping on your private medical and financial information, your religious activities or your sex life." 

"They voted to take away the privacy rights of hundreds of millions of Americans just so a few giant companies could pad their already considerable profits. Facing a growing public outcry, they rushed through this vote before more people could find out what was at stake."

Essential online protections are gone, with no prospect for replacing them by this Congress and administration. Personal information is now a commodity to be sold for profit. Our private lives don't matter.

Congress and the administration side with predatory profiteers, ignoring the rights of ordinary people.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) blasted the move, saying telecommunications and cable companies "will have free rein to hijack your (online) searches, sell your data, and hammer you with unwanted advertisements." 

"Worst yet, consumers will now have to pay a privacy tax by relying on VPNs to safeguard their information. That is a poor substitute for legal protections."

ISPs will have "new powers to harvest your personal information…" They'll monitor customers online, create personal/sensitive profiles, selling them for profit.

EFF vowed to contest the new measure in court, along with preparations to demand a future Congress reverse what this one passed.

On March 28, a White House office of the press secretary statement said "(t)he administration strongly supports House passage of S.J.Res. 34."

When presented to Trump, "his advisors (will) recommend that he sign the bill into law." 

Public sentiment opposing it doesn't matter. Business prioritizes override it.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. 

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. 

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