CQ Roll Call’s privacy reporter Paul Merrion explains why the Republican-led Federal Communications Commission is moving to dismantle broadband privacy protections set up by the Obama administration. Those safeguards were designed to prevent hackers from accessing users’ data. The FCC will reconsider the broader rule that also requires internet service providers such as Comcast to get permission from customers before selling information about their online activity to advertisers. The move, some fear, could lead the agency to undo aspects of net neutrality that prevents broadband providers from treating web content differently.

Show Notes:

.@AjitPaiFCC Will Stay @FCC Broadband Privacy Rule ($) https://t.co/915yl7jneC via @pmerrion

— CQ Now (@CQnow) February 24, 2017

The FCC took steps toward rolling back key portions of a big Obama-era privacy rule for internet service providers https://t.co/LdNS9WI5lR

— Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) March 2, 2017

FCC chairman Ajit Pai says net neutrality was a mistake https://t.co/MT1ptEtwi2 pic.twitter.com/cMz31ZvCKy

— The Verge (@verge) March 1, 2017