ISPs must now ask for permission before selling your data, Maine rules

[The AchieVer]

ISPs must now ask for permission before selling your data, Maine rules

Internet providers will not be able to penalize those who refuse, either.

 

 

 

 

The state of Maine is taking a stand against Internet service providers (ISPs) that are monetizing customer information without consent by voting to pass a bill which will require express permission for such data harvesting. 

 

On Thursday, the Maine Senate voted 35-0 to pass the bill, LD 946, which will require consumer consent before ISPs can sell their private information to third-parties. 

 

ISPs, as the gatekeepers to our Internet access, are able to collect a vast array on our online activities if protections such as the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) are not in place. This may include website visits, browser histories, location data, and usage.

 

By creating a digital profile of our activities, ISPs can then sell this information on to advertisers and data brokers which are able to use this information in targeted business campaigns and tailored advertising. 

 

LD 946 demands that ISPs secure the "express consent" of customers before "using, disclosing, selling or permitting access to customer personal information." 

 

 

There may be the concern that ISPs could attempt to force the issue and apply pressure on customers in Maine by capping bandwidth or otherwise penalizing them if they refuse. However, the bill specifically prohibits this -- as well as offering a carrot in the form of discounts in return for permission. 

 

The bill does make allowances for some exceptions, such as when consent is granted, the sale of data which is not personal, or when court orders have been issued, or also in cases of emergency. 

 

Under the terms of LD 946, customers are able to withdraw their permission for data gathering by their ISP at any time.  

The decision builds upon earlier approval in the house, with votes rolling in at 96-45 in favor, and now only requires Governor Mills to agree and sign for the proposal to become law in the state.

 

Maine's decision flies in the face of US Congress overturning the same rule in 2017, promoted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) statewide, which would have ensured ISPs gained customer approval for the monetization of their information. This decision was considered a major loss for consumer privacy in the United States and also hamstrung the FCC by preventing the commission from being able to regulate the sale of data gathered by ISPs in the future. 

 

"Today, the Maine legislature did what the United States Congress has thus far failed to do and voted to put consumer privacy before corporate profits," said Oamshri Amarasingham, advocacy director at the ACLU of Maine. "Nobody should have to choose between using the Internet and protecting their own data. Lest we forget, internet providers work for us. We pay them -- a lot -- for their services, and it is outrageous that they would turn around and sell our most private information without our consent."

 

 

 

 

Source

[Matrix]

 

 

 

Why it matters: With the FCC currently less than concerned with consumer privacy and net neutrality, it's important for states to adopt their own measures. The state of Maine has passed a very strongly worded bill that highlights privacy before profit, and it could set a precedent for other states to follow. While the bill isn't perfect, choosing to focus on ISPs and containing glaring omissions for the likes of Google and Facebook, it's an essential first step.

Internet service providers have a tendency to slurp user data, and since federal protections were reversed in 2017, ISPs are largely free to monetize customer browsing data without so much as consent or even an opt-out. The state of Maine aims to change that with the passage of a new bill.

The state's Senate voted unanimously to pass the bill, after the bill found similar favor in the state House. The bill, LD 946, requires ISPs to obtain consent before collecting, disclosing, selling or permitting access to customer information. LD 946 outlines exceptions where ISPs can use customer information without consent, such as honoring a court order or in case of emergency services.

According to the text of the bill, personal information includes browsing history, application usage, and geolocation data -- the latter of which is at the center of a class-action lawsuit against major wireless carriers. The legislation also outlines an exhaustive list of information considered personally identifying that a service provider wouldn't be allowed to touch without consent.

The bill reads that ISPs cannot refuse service to or otherwise penalize a customer for withholding consent. Additionally, ISPs will not be permitted to provide customers with discounts for their consent. The bill's language echoes a similar theme to that of the one passed in California last year, in that states are fed up with the sweeping disregard and fleeting lip service from ISPs regarding consumer privacy.

The bill is currently awaiting a signature from Governor Janet Mills before being enacted into law.

 

 VIEW: Original Article.