The Federal Communications Commission has dismissed an advocacy organization's request to increase consumer Internet privacy protections.
Issued in June by non-profit Consumer Watchdog, the request petitioned the FCC to use its authority to force Internet companies to honor consumers’ “Do Not Track” requests, prohibiting so-called "edge" providers — companies like Google, Facebook, YouTube, Pandora, Netflix and LinkedIn — from sharing consumer data with ad networks when consumers elect not to be tracked.
Because Internet privacy concerns can hinder broadband deployment, the nonprofit reasoned that it's in the FCC’s best interest to enact such rules related to consumer privacy protection.
In statement released Friday, however, the FCC shut down that request, noting that "it has no intent to regulate" these "edge" providers.
The Commission stated that in its 2015 “Net Neutrality” measure to reclassify broadband Internet access service as a telecommunications service under Title II of the Communications Act — which would give the FCC responsibility for consumer privacy over broadband networks — any consumer privacy rules apply to Internet service providers, not to individual content companies that use those networks. In doing so, the Commission stated, it was not “regulating the Internet, per se, or any Internet applications or content.”
Therefore, the nonprofit’s request for rules requiring content providers to honor “Do Not Track" requests is inconsistent with the FCC's recent articulation of its authority over broadband Internet service, and therefore, Consumer Watchdog’s request “plainly does not warrant” the Commission's consideration.
In a statement, Consumer Watchdog privacy project director John M. Simpson said “We believe the FCC has the authority to enforce Internet privacy protections far more broadly than they have opted to do, and are obviously disappointed by this decision."
The statement went on to say that Consumer Watchdog would continue pressing state regulators, Congress and the courts to better protect Internet users’ privacy.
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