Several Democratic Senators Push Broadband Privacy Proposal

Sens Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Ed Markey (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Al Franken (D-MN), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) called on the Federal Communications Commission to finalize its broadband privacy proposal. “An [Internet service provider] has a duty to protect the privacy of consumers who use the company’s wired and wireless infrastructure to connect to the world,” the Sens wrote in a letter to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler. “We strongly support the commission’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, and believe that this framework will strengthen the privacy protections for consumers’ personal information.” They told the FCC it needed to:

Adopt a comprehensive definition of customer proprietary information.
Apply protections to both current and former ISP customers.
Promote transparency by requiring ISPs to disclose what information is being collected and how it is used.
Require ISPs to obtain consent before using or sharing consumers’ proprietary information.
Establish data security protections and breach notification requirements.
Mandate that the FCC and ISPs create clear complaint processes if consumers believe their privacy has been violated.