US Senate votes to allow ISPs to share your browsing history without your permission

[Exterminator]

In what seems like it could become a privacy nightmare for citizens, the US Senate just has just jumped over the first hurdle that will allow Internet providers to share your browsing history, along with other vital information like geolocation, health information, and financial information without your consent. The controversial measure overturns a previous rule that made it mandatory for the providers to obtain permission before sharing the data.

The rule which saw 50 Republicans approve and 48 Democrats against it, now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives for further consideration. If this passes through the House, it will then makes its way to being signed by the President, then at which point, will effectively allow your Internet provider to sell your data. That's not all though, as it will also prevent the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from monitoring the broadband service providers.

As stated prior, this would still have to be approved by the House, and as of now, it has not been decided when they will take up the measure.

Source: Reuters

 

[frogboy]

Grrr this makes me angry and I am not even an American, although us Aussies are usually not far behind the Americans in such things.

 

[Amelith Nargothrond]

Grrr this makes me angry and I am not even an American, although us Aussies are usually not far behind the Americans in such things.

True. The rest of the world might follow... Talking a few threads back about Big Brother...

 

[frogboy]

True. The rest of the world might follow... Talking a few threads back about Big Brother...

Yikes I do hope not though.

 

[DardiM]

True. The rest of the world might follow... Talking a few threads back about Big Brother...

"allow your Internet provider to sell your data"
Typically a thing that will never be authorized in EU

 

[larry goes to church]

This one is very scary..
And only made worse by their current administration...

 

[Marko :)]

"allow your Internet provider to sell your data"
Typically a thing that will never be authorized in EU

Yep. I don't think EU will allow this.

 

[Deleted member 178]

Yep. I don't think EU will allow this.

Indeed (at least "officially" ), in France even a site using cookies must warn the visitor.

 

[Marko :)]

Indeed (at least "officially" ), in France even a site using cookies must warn the visitor.

Not only in France, same is in every EU country. We have cookie notifications on our websites as well. That's why I have installed I don't care about cookies extension in browser. EU has very strict privacy rules.

 

[DardiM]

Your Online Choices | EDAA

Example :

YourOnlineChoices.eu - Your ad choices

 

[russ0408]

Everything today is all about the all mighty dollar, and the government is going to help the Google's, Microsoft's and Apple make the big bucks.

 

[ctrlz]

I'm not sure, would a VPN exclude your ISP to track the browsing history? I think yes.
Of course, it is mandatory to change DNS too: using the ISP defaults will let them track your destination before you reach it.

 

[_CyberGhosT_]

It's much ado about nothing, just make sure you make it hard for them,
one step is replacing your DNS servers from the default your ISP assigns,
"if they let you change it" mine does so I use AdGuards DNS servers.
I am not saying this will stop all or that this is all you need to do, but
it is a big step in the right direction
Step 1> Change your DNS to Adguard or another secure 3rd party.
Step 2> Use a homepage and search engine that will not track you
or collect info, I use the Duck.
Other steps include cleaning your browser regularly, set it to clean at closing,
I do this and have Ccleaner clean it too at closing, just to make sure.

 

[ctrlz]

I'm using duckduckgo too, while my dns servers are from dns.watch!
Great to know it's the right direction

 

[Amelith Nargothrond]

It's much ado about nothing, just make sure you make it hard for them,
one step is replacing your DNS servers from the default your ISP assigns,
"if they let you change it" mine does so I use AdGuards DNS servers.
I am not saying this will stop all or that this is all you need to do, but
it is a big step in the right direction
Step 1> Change your DNS to Adguard or another secure 3rd party.
Step 2> Use a homepage and search engine that will not track you
or collect info, I use the Duck.
Other steps include cleaning your browser regularly, set it to clean at closing,
I do this and have Ccleaner clean it too at closing, just to make sure.

True, but they can still track you down, at least in the EU, as far as i know, ISPs (yours and the DNS service provider's as well if in the EU) are forced to give up some data to authorities if you are doing nasty stuff on the Internet and they find you somehow. So in one way or another, privacy is questionable no matter what you do in certain regions of the world.

 

[Marko :)]

True, but they can still track you down, at least in the EU, as far as i know, ISPs (yours and the DNS service provider's as well if in the EU) are forced to give up some data to authorities if you are doing nasty stuff on the Internet and they find you somehow. So in one way or another, privacy is questionable no matter what you do in certain regions of the world.

I don't know how this works in other countries but as far as I know, here ISPs don't track users activity nor they are allowed to unless authorities give them explicit permission.

 

[Amelith Nargothrond]

I don't know how this works in other countries but as far as I know, here ISPs don't track users activity nor they are allowed to unless authorities gives them explicit permission.

Can't really trust anybody these days... Safest way to stay safe online is to unplug your network cable

 

[ctrlz]

IMO it's better to let ISPs record useless information, leaving less traces as possible.

This is possible by choosing services (search engines, VPN and DNS) that don't log anything and don't make users profilation.
Also prefer services based outside US, or other intrusive governments

 

[JohnBRogers]

EU is currently busy with other issues, but I don't doubt this will come to their table sometime in the future. I don't trust governments, no matter where in the world. You guys better hold your horses and inform yourself about how to protect yourself when it happens.

 

[Amelith Nargothrond]

EU is currently busy with other issues, but I don't doubt this will come to their table sometime in the future. I don't trust governments, no matter where in the world. You guys better hold your horses and inform yourself about how to protect yourself when it happens.

Move to the Moon?