Public Comment

To make a phone call, your phone company knows the phone number you are calling. Legally considered a "utility," phone companies are required to protect the privacy of your call information. Similarly, in order to connect to a webpage, your internet provider knows every website address you view, and every keystroke you enter on that website. Until now, that private information was similarly protected.  

No longer. On March 28, the Republican-majority Congress passed a "joint resolution of congressional disapproval" that repeals the FCC's broadband privacy rules. The measure is at the White House for Trump's signature.  

While promoted as a way for advertisers to better target you with products you might want to purchase, this loss of internet privacy creates serious dangers. Companies that analyze "Big Data" can create political profiles of voters to micro-target manipulative propaganda messages. Russia used this dis-information technique during the presidential campaign.  

With Congressional repeal of FCC rules, internet providers can release much more private information including your health history, financial information, your Social Security number, your browsing history, app usage, and the content of your messages, emails and other communications. Everyone is now vulnerable to intimidation or blackmail by those who will compile a "Database of Ruin" containing facts about each of us that we wouldn't want anyone else to know. 

FCC rules MUST remain in place to protect our privacy. Contact your Congress Representative today. Protest, and support lawsuits to challenge this action before your data is released.