Rep Pallone Seeks GAO Study of Broadband Privacy Oversight

The Government Accountability Office has been asked by House Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-NJ) to study the status of broadband privacy regulatory authority over both Internet service providers and the edge. Rep Pallone points to the bifurcated oversight of Internet service providers (the Federal Communications Commission) and edge providers (Federal Trade Commission) and the "fluctuating state of the law and underlying threats to individuals' privacy and security online." Those include that a court case has brought into question the FTC's ability to regulate edge provider privacy if that edge provider is owned by a common carrier—such as Verizon buying Yahoo—and the fact that the FCC's broadband privacy framework is under review by current FCC Chairman Ajit Pai.

In a letter to comptroller general Gene L. Dodaro, Rep Pallone asks for GAO to study and report back to the committee, pointing out that "[w]ith the near universal use of the internet, and the rapid expansion of connected devices, corporations now have more information about American consumers than ever before."