American internet privacy laws rolled back

US ISP’S CAN NOW LEGALLY SELL USER DATA.

Towards the end of Obama’s presidency, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued laws that would essentially act to prevent US internet service providers (ISPs) from selling their customers’ data without their explicit permission. The privacy rules were set to be put into effect some time after December 2017, but have now been eliminated as a vote was passed in US Senate and House of Representatives to repeal the rules and has now been signed by President Trump. As for the direct consequence, nothing has technically changed in the active law surrounding ISPs as the FCC’s rules never came into effect, but there has been public outcry over the repeal, with many critics viewing it as a step back for digital privacy in the country.

In 2015, Australia introduced data retention laws that requires Australian ISPs to retain data about their customers’ internet and phone service usage. This metadata is currently kept for a period of two years, can only be used in serious criminal or national security investigations, and is only accessible by law enforcement and national security agencies. This ostensibly removes the chance of your data being sold, however, that’s not beyond the realm of possibility.