The evening of a playing field?

Hand Of The Buddha

As the Republican congress capitalizes on the friendly Republican White House, it is overturning a lot of rocks, and passing legislation friendly to one or another among various corporate interests - such as the cable ISP and business.

This week, the House voted to upend Obama era FTC regulations that forbade ISPs from selling individuals' browser activity data. The group was to be put somewhat on the outside on the action of what is called big data - required to get formal permission from customers in order to sell browser histories to adtech markets - the ones dominated by Facebook and Google.

What's the difference between an ISP and a Google? Google provides a free service as part of a (admittedly murky) quid pro quo. You get free browser and free search - and you tacitly give them the right to use you as a datum. With the ISP, you pay them - and not with a lot of choice either, as they are more often than not a monopoly in your neighborhood.

The stakes ISPs stuck in the Internet are deep. It can hardly be said this legislation is the evening of a playing field. Several of the companies have pledged to ask for permissions of customers before selling their (anonymized) browser history. It's likely best alled a feel good gesture on the part of the people pulling the puppet strings of government these days. You know, "Monday, geld the EPA." "Tuesday, affirm the right to kill sleeping bears in National Parks." "Wednesday, toss the ISPs a big data bone." - Jack Vaughan

RELATED
http://www.zdnet.com/article/isps-were-not-going-to-sell-your-web-browsing-data/
http://continuations.com/post/158773876945/government-just-gave-your-isp-even-more-power-you
https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2017/03/30/fcc-privacy-rules-how-isps-will-actually-sell-your-data
https://www.wired.com/2017/03/big-cables-case-selling-data-doesnt-hold/

SOURCES
Cards Against Humanity creator Max Temkin
Matthew Hogan, CEO at DataCoup
ALBERT WENGER, a partner at Union Square Ventures, author "World After Capital”
Dallas Harris, a policy fellow with consumer advocacy group Public Knowledge.