One of the most cherished freedoms that we have in our society is our privacy and the security of that privacy. Although it is not guaranteed in our Constitution, over the last few decades this has been an assumed right. In today’s world, as we become much more connected to technology than ever before, protection of privacy has become much more crucial than ever.
In the one area where we feel the greatest impact of privacy rights is with regards to the internet and submitting our confidential information over it, such as our credit card number as we attempt to make an online purchase.
Until recently, the past Presidential Administrations have protected this privilege of ours and did everything possible within the law to preserve it. However, it was announced last week that the US House of Representatives voted to overturn the privacy rights policies put in place to protect consumers’ privacy against ISP’s.
Of course, this move has been met with much resistance from advocacy groups. Now, it is up to President Trump to go against or protect the rights of consumers. Major internet companies such as Verizon and Comcast have publicly expressed their disappointment in Congress’s decision.
According to ACLU legislative counsel Neema Singh Guliani, “it is extremely disappointing that Congress is sacrificing the privacy rights of Americans in the interest of protecting the profits of major internet companies including Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon.”
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi states that “your broadband provider knows deeply personal information about you and your family—where you are, what you want to know, every site you visit, and more.”
Based upon these comments, this is clearly a controversial battle which will go on for a long time, with no clear-cut solution at hand. To revive an old proverb, “only time will tell.”
(blog source: FCC’s privacy overturn hailed by ISPs, but consumer groups cite concerns over security, protections)
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