Protect yourself online
NanH0324's profile

Tutor

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5 Messages

Thursday, March 30th, 2017 2:06 PM

Selling my browser history

I have a problem with legislation passed by Congress which allows my ISP to track my apps, browser history, location etc.  This is an invasion of my privacy.  I am hoping that AT&T will be a provider that does not participate in this practice even though it may become legal if Trump signs it into law.   If he signs it into law, I am hoping there will be ISPs who offer PRIVACY as a feature -- and if that happens, I will be changing to another company for all of my internet, television, wireless and telephone needs.  AT&T -- take the high road please!

Accepted Solution

Official Solution

ACE - Expert

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27.6K Messages

7 years ago

From Reuters:
AT&T says in its privacy statement it "will not sell your personal information to anyone, for any purpose. Period." In a blog post Friday, AT&T said it would not change those policies after Trump signs the repeal.

 

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-fcc-data-idUSKBN1722D6

Tutor

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8 Messages

7 years ago

Hi,

Re: the recent passage of

" S J RES 34 , BILL TITLE: Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Federal Communications Commission relating to “Protecting the Privacy of Customers of Broadband and Other Telecommunications Services”

 

What is AT&T's plan for the use of customers' internet usage data, (web browsing histories, and other uses covered by the new law)?

Will such former privacy excluded information be read by the AT&T employee staff?

Will such information be provided either free or sold to 3rd parties?

How will information, conveyed to 3rd parties, be used by them?

Will former privacy information be passed to any 3rd party, regardless of their criminal background?

Will AT&T customers be granted the  opportunity to "opt out," of the conveyance of such information?

Is there any recourse for AT&T customers who prefer that their internet uses be excluded from the use by AT&T employees and 3rd parties?

 

I look forward to your reply, thank you. 

 

ACE - Expert

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34.7K Messages

7 years ago


@Dive_Instr wrote:

 

...

I look forward to your reply, thank you.  


Yeah, about that.  Ain't happenin'.

 

ACE - Expert

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27.6K Messages

7 years ago

With the passage of the bill (approved along party lines), there is NO LAW prohibiting your internet provider from selling any and all information that they can now legally gather.  So the answer to all of your questions is "They can do anything and everything they want.  There's nothing to stop them."

 

I just hope everyone is still this upset come mid-term elections in 2018 and again during the Presidential election in 2020.

Contributor

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2 Messages

7 years ago

I feel we need a guarantee from ATT that they will not sale our personal information obtained in our browser history if Trump signs the new bill which allows ATT to do so.

ACE - Expert

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27.6K Messages

7 years ago

WHEN he signs it (and he will) there will be NOTHING to stop the culling of your personal history by AT&T, Comcast, Verison, et. al. 

Tutor

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5 Messages

7 years ago

100% agree.

Tutor

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8 Messages

7 years ago

Hi JefferMC,

 Yeah, about that.  Ain't happenin'.

 

The odds-makers will agree with you, and so do I.  The question needed to be raised,

as to AT&T specific implementation of the new law.  And, we all know the answer;

maximum harvesting of what we do online.

 

There is another discussion point.

 

The HIPAA Law.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_Insurance_Portability_and_Accountability_Act

 

Example:

John Doe has a heart condition and spends most of his time pursuing

cardiac and other medical information.  Additionally, he posts medical

specifics, about himself, on his physicians website, and on the webmd

and other medical websites's forums. 

 

Then his ISP scrapes, harvests, and archives his personal medical online activities, and

shares same with whoever wants the info.  The ISP and clients now have possession of hours

and hours of archives of John Doe's medically related use of the internet.  

 

This information is now in the wild, as 3rd parties spread the information around. 

 

Is the ISP in violation of the HIPAA Law?  It would seem so. 

Scholar

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100 Messages

7 years ago

Don't worry y'all. I am sure the courts will get involved stopping it.

 

Either that let's all chip in and buy the AT&T's CEO's information 🙂

ACE - Expert

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27.6K Messages

7 years ago

Interesting question @Dive_Instr 

 

Anyone who's been to a doctor or hospital, got medicine, had lab work done or had an xray since the implementation of HIPPA, knows that those involved (from the doctor to the pharmacist) are serious about how they conduct business, sometimes to the brink of being ridiculous.

 

While I want to believe that that might be what overturns this, what's really happening is that they are wiping out an FCC landmark internet privacy protection rule that was approved in Oct. 2016 and HIPAA's been around before that.

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