SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Trump Quietly Inks Deal Selling Out Americans to Telecom Industry
With overreach now established as law of the land, open internet advocates are encouraging consumers to protect themselves and their data
Apr 04, 2017
Without fanfare or cameras, President Donald Trump on Monday quietly signed away Americans' right to internet privacy, inking a deal that will allow internet companies to track and sell private information without user consent.
Though the White House issued a statement of support after the bill was passed by Republicans in the House and Senate, advocacy organizations and Democratic lawmakers called on Trump to veto the measure, holding out hope that the faux-populist president (and vocal critic of surveillance) would be swayed by its unpopularity as it sells out individuals' right to privacy to the highest bidder.
"It's deeply ironic that President Trump is expressing outrage about alleged violations of his own privacy while signing legislation that will dramatically expand government surveillance of all Americans."
--Evan Greer, Fight for the Future" Donald Trump said he was going to drain the swamp, but it didn't take long for the swamp to drain him," said Evan Greer, campaign director of Fight for the Future in a press statement after Trump's quiet signing was reported.
"The only people in the United States who want less internet privacy are CEOs and lobbyists for giant telecom companies who want to rake in money by spying on all of us and selling the private details of our lives to marketing companies," Greer continued.
"It's deeply ironic," she added, "that President Trump is expressing outrage about alleged violations of his own privacy while signing legislation that will dramatically expand government surveillance of all Americans."
Michael Copps , former FCC Commissioner and special adviser to pro-democracy group Common Cause, similarly lamented after the bill's signing: "Privacy goes the way of populism as Trump rolls over again for big business."
"Despite a campaign filled with rhetoric about the plight of forgotten Americans, Trump has once again come down on the side of corporate profiteering at the expense of Americans who don't sit on corporate boards and can't afford a $200,000 membership at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach," Copps added. "Trump has flip-flipped on his own campaign promises and handed over Americans' right to privacy to those with the deepest pockets."
Formally, the law repeals Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations enacted by the Obama administration that forbade internet service providers (ISPs), such as AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon, from selling user data to third-party companies. This includes information like one's search history--information about health, finances, and other private matters--as well as their location and the applications they use.
What's more, because it came in the form of a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution, the legislation prevents the FCC from putting any similar rules in place in the future.
With this overreach now established as the law of the land, open internet advocates like Fight for the Future are encouraging consumers to protect themselves and their data. Over the weekend, the organization launched #GetSafe, a simple step-by-step guide that helps users beef up their digital security.
Similarly, the Electronic Frontier Foundation has also outlined clear technical measures one can take to protect their privacy from ISPs, such as signing up for a Virtual Private Network (VPN), or using a secure browser extension--like https--when possible. Another tactic reported by Ars Technica on Monday involves users flooding their browsing history with so-called "data pollution" which essentially surrounds sensitive information with "noise."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Lauren McCauley
Lauren McCauley is a former senior editor for Common Dreams covering national and international politics and progressive news. She is now the Editor of Maine Morning Star. Lauren also helped produce a number of documentary films, including the award-winning Soundtrack for a Revolution and The Hollywood Complex, as well as one currently in production about civil rights icon James Meredith. Her writing has been featured on Newsweek, BillMoyers.com, TruthDig, Truthout, In These Times, and Extra! the newsletter of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. She currently lives in Kennebunk, Maine with her husband, two children, a dog, and several chickens.
big brothercomcastcorporate powerfccfight for the futureopen internetrepublican partytechnologytrumpismverizon
Without fanfare or cameras, President Donald Trump on Monday quietly signed away Americans' right to internet privacy, inking a deal that will allow internet companies to track and sell private information without user consent.
Though the White House issued a statement of support after the bill was passed by Republicans in the House and Senate, advocacy organizations and Democratic lawmakers called on Trump to veto the measure, holding out hope that the faux-populist president (and vocal critic of surveillance) would be swayed by its unpopularity as it sells out individuals' right to privacy to the highest bidder.
"It's deeply ironic that President Trump is expressing outrage about alleged violations of his own privacy while signing legislation that will dramatically expand government surveillance of all Americans."
--Evan Greer, Fight for the Future" Donald Trump said he was going to drain the swamp, but it didn't take long for the swamp to drain him," said Evan Greer, campaign director of Fight for the Future in a press statement after Trump's quiet signing was reported.
"The only people in the United States who want less internet privacy are CEOs and lobbyists for giant telecom companies who want to rake in money by spying on all of us and selling the private details of our lives to marketing companies," Greer continued.
"It's deeply ironic," she added, "that President Trump is expressing outrage about alleged violations of his own privacy while signing legislation that will dramatically expand government surveillance of all Americans."
Michael Copps , former FCC Commissioner and special adviser to pro-democracy group Common Cause, similarly lamented after the bill's signing: "Privacy goes the way of populism as Trump rolls over again for big business."
"Despite a campaign filled with rhetoric about the plight of forgotten Americans, Trump has once again come down on the side of corporate profiteering at the expense of Americans who don't sit on corporate boards and can't afford a $200,000 membership at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach," Copps added. "Trump has flip-flipped on his own campaign promises and handed over Americans' right to privacy to those with the deepest pockets."
Formally, the law repeals Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations enacted by the Obama administration that forbade internet service providers (ISPs), such as AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon, from selling user data to third-party companies. This includes information like one's search history--information about health, finances, and other private matters--as well as their location and the applications they use.
What's more, because it came in the form of a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution, the legislation prevents the FCC from putting any similar rules in place in the future.
With this overreach now established as the law of the land, open internet advocates like Fight for the Future are encouraging consumers to protect themselves and their data. Over the weekend, the organization launched #GetSafe, a simple step-by-step guide that helps users beef up their digital security.
Similarly, the Electronic Frontier Foundation has also outlined clear technical measures one can take to protect their privacy from ISPs, such as signing up for a Virtual Private Network (VPN), or using a secure browser extension--like https--when possible. Another tactic reported by Ars Technica on Monday involves users flooding their browsing history with so-called "data pollution" which essentially surrounds sensitive information with "noise."
Lauren McCauley
Lauren McCauley is a former senior editor for Common Dreams covering national and international politics and progressive news. She is now the Editor of Maine Morning Star. Lauren also helped produce a number of documentary films, including the award-winning Soundtrack for a Revolution and The Hollywood Complex, as well as one currently in production about civil rights icon James Meredith. Her writing has been featured on Newsweek, BillMoyers.com, TruthDig, Truthout, In These Times, and Extra! the newsletter of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. She currently lives in Kennebunk, Maine with her husband, two children, a dog, and several chickens.
Without fanfare or cameras, President Donald Trump on Monday quietly signed away Americans' right to internet privacy, inking a deal that will allow internet companies to track and sell private information without user consent.
Though the White House issued a statement of support after the bill was passed by Republicans in the House and Senate, advocacy organizations and Democratic lawmakers called on Trump to veto the measure, holding out hope that the faux-populist president (and vocal critic of surveillance) would be swayed by its unpopularity as it sells out individuals' right to privacy to the highest bidder.
"It's deeply ironic that President Trump is expressing outrage about alleged violations of his own privacy while signing legislation that will dramatically expand government surveillance of all Americans."
--Evan Greer, Fight for the Future" Donald Trump said he was going to drain the swamp, but it didn't take long for the swamp to drain him," said Evan Greer, campaign director of Fight for the Future in a press statement after Trump's quiet signing was reported.
"The only people in the United States who want less internet privacy are CEOs and lobbyists for giant telecom companies who want to rake in money by spying on all of us and selling the private details of our lives to marketing companies," Greer continued.
"It's deeply ironic," she added, "that President Trump is expressing outrage about alleged violations of his own privacy while signing legislation that will dramatically expand government surveillance of all Americans."
Michael Copps , former FCC Commissioner and special adviser to pro-democracy group Common Cause, similarly lamented after the bill's signing: "Privacy goes the way of populism as Trump rolls over again for big business."
"Despite a campaign filled with rhetoric about the plight of forgotten Americans, Trump has once again come down on the side of corporate profiteering at the expense of Americans who don't sit on corporate boards and can't afford a $200,000 membership at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach," Copps added. "Trump has flip-flipped on his own campaign promises and handed over Americans' right to privacy to those with the deepest pockets."
Formally, the law repeals Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations enacted by the Obama administration that forbade internet service providers (ISPs), such as AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon, from selling user data to third-party companies. This includes information like one's search history--information about health, finances, and other private matters--as well as their location and the applications they use.
What's more, because it came in the form of a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution, the legislation prevents the FCC from putting any similar rules in place in the future.
With this overreach now established as the law of the land, open internet advocates like Fight for the Future are encouraging consumers to protect themselves and their data. Over the weekend, the organization launched #GetSafe, a simple step-by-step guide that helps users beef up their digital security.
Similarly, the Electronic Frontier Foundation has also outlined clear technical measures one can take to protect their privacy from ISPs, such as signing up for a Virtual Private Network (VPN), or using a secure browser extension--like https--when possible. Another tactic reported by Ars Technica on Monday involves users flooding their browsing history with so-called "data pollution" which essentially surrounds sensitive information with "noise."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.