You have probably seen the headlines.
In this post, I will explain why this is actually a blessing in disguise
You shouldn't be mad at congress.
You may have recently seen this ad in the New York Times. This message is powerful. It puts the names of exactly who voted for this bill. It follows with a call to action: call your house representative.
This is faulty thinking. What these men did was allow you to be a more free individual. They deregulated ISPs. I know that your gut reaction may be "how dare they, I deserve my privacy" and you're absolutely right. You deserve your privacy. That does not mean you should be upset with the above individuals. If you're going to pout at someone, you should be upset at your ISP. Any ISP who sells your browser history should immediately feel the backlash from their customers. This backlash should come as a hit to the pocketbook, not as a government mandate.
Strict regulation is the cancer of our political era. The tighter a government's grip on business, the more everyday people fall through the cracks. Regulation is actually how we got ourselves into this mess. Special rules here and there that have a butterfly effect. To Verizon, a regulation here and there is quite manageable, but to an upcoming honest ISP, it could mean bankruptcy. What you end up with is an unchallenged oligopoly.
If you oppose ISPs selling your data, vote with your pocketbook. Make a stand against the oligopoly and go with a local ISP instead.
"Private Browsing Data" != "Internet Browser History"
There is a lot of false information going around so let me lay out the facts. The bill the Senate passed blocks a rule that hadn't gone into effect yet, which would have blocked ISPs from selling data without permission. That's right, with the passage of this bill, nothing changes. As it turns out, it actually goes farther than that. ISPs will still be subject to Section 222. Section 222 regulates how ISPs can use“customer proprietary network information.” It doesn’t define what that means in a Web browsing context. Despite that, Dallas Harris says that 222 requires ISPs to give customers a chance to opt out of sharing information.
Although it was well publicized that ISPs will be able to sell your internet history, the facts are: that claim is completely unfounded. There are no ISPs that have come forward and said they will be selling the information, nor is there any court precedent for this type of case.
In conclusion...
- Government loosening their grip is actually a good thing because it allows for alternative businesses to start up and paves the way for a brighter future.
- Congress didn't betray you, your ISPs betrayed you.
- If you disagree use your pocket book vote.
- Section 222 applies to ISPs and will strictly limit how they can use your data anyways.
Thanks for reading
--Nate
What's next? When you deposit feces in a toilet, the public utility company can scan it for DNA material and sell it to insurance companies for health risk data too?
Oops, I shouldn't have said that... someone's probably working on it now. :(
This is almost reality
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3718788/Smart-toilets-analyse-poop-ultrasonic-baths-3D-scan-internal-organs-Google-patent-reveals-plan-bathroom-monitor-health.html
Smart toilets that analyse your poop and ultrasonic baths that 3D scan your internal organs: Google patent reveals plan for bathroom that can monitor your health
Patent filed January 2015 and published July 21, 2016
Monitors functional states and trends for human physiological systems
Devices send remote server or computing device sensor data
Although focused on cardiovascular, devices can be used in other areas
Thanks for writing this Nate! :)
Interesting stuff ! Thanks for the share 😎
Cheers Nate. Thank you for sharing your views on this lil ol issue that effects us all. I suppose we masses must turn to self education for solutions moving forward.
http://tpr.org/post/three-ways-anonymize-your-web-browsing#stream/0
interesting... thanks for good information...^^
Thanks for this... there is so much confusion relating to "net neutrality". Such a generalized term doesn't cover all the nuances of what is going on here and people are being sold a bill of goods.
Good post! Many people have no idea about how their privacy is being violated, sadly...
Wow can you imagine what the hell is next thank god for block chain