From a tele-townhall meeting on 2017-Mar-27, Rodney Davis provided no precise answer for Senate Joint Resolution 34 (ISP free to sell usage history) - Claim was that he didn't want to inhibit last-mile internet access - that night I sent a response with several point against this bill:
Response:
Thank you for contacting me regarding overturning the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) proposed rule known as "Protecting the Privacy of Customers of Broadband and Other Telecommunications Services." I enjoy hearing from constituents and appreciate the time you took to share your thoughts on this important piece of legislation.The point about mistaken communication is a little alarming, especially when no other evidence supporting his claim is provided (here's yet another consumer-based article against his claim, and further issues of net-neutrality). What is concerning is that it is undermining organizations concerned with personal rights, and discouraging participation. These are also Russia's plans.I voted in favor of overturning the FCC rule on March 28th, 2017. This is a complex issue and there has been some miscommunication about this proposed rule. I would like to take this opportunity to provide some clarification. Actions of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have, and will continue to be governed by the Communications Act, a statute that has and will continue to protect consumers. I studied this issue closely on your behalf and am disappointed in the amount of misconstrued information released about it.
In 2015 the FCC reclassified the internet as a public utility, thereby taking partial control of the monitoring, governing, and enforcing of internet protections from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), a body that had governed and enforced privacy and data security for over two decades.
It has been mistakenly communicated that the overturning of this FCC rule allows ISPs new authority to sell private consumer information. This is not true. In fact, consumer privacy protections set in place by ISPs, which can be found by examining the privacy contracts of these providers, are oftentimes more stringent and ensure additional consumer privacy protections in addition to the measures already in place under Federal laws.
The proposed FCC rule would have put two agencies (the FCC and the FTC) in charge of the Internet. Furthermore, the proposed FCC unfairly favored certain browsing companies over ISPs. Overturning the proposed rule maintains the privacy protections that are already in place, ensures that the FTC is able to effectively govern as it has for the past twenty years, and allows the internet to be governed equitably without bestowing any advantage to one company or service provider over another. I want to ensure that federal agencies put common sense rules in place within their jurisdiction and that these rules are effective and efficient. For this reason I voted to overturn the FCC's proposed rule and maintain the consumer protections in place already which are the protections under the FTC's regulations, as well as the protections in place under the Communications Act.
While we may not agree on this piece of legislation, please know that I value your input on this and would like to work with you in the future on other issues and pieces of legislation to improve our system of government. Again thank you for reaching out to me on this important issue.
If you would like to stay informed on what is happening in Washington, DC and around the 13th District, please sign up to receive my e-newsletter by visiting https://rodneydavis.house.gov/contact/newsletter.
Sincerely,
Rodney Davis
What to do about it: