Rep. Pallone calls for legislation that empowers the FTC to protect consumer privacy

Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) calls for legislation that would empower the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to protect consumer privacy from Internet companies. The FCC must take action to protect consumer privacy, Pallone notes in the Huffington Post, but as the telecommunications and technology sectors become increasingly intertwined, regulators in both sectors must act to protect customer data -- and Congress should give them the tools to do so.

While the FCC is responsible for protecting the privacy of Internet providers’ customers  -- think AT&T or Verizon -- the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is responsible for protecting the privacy of Internet companies’ customers -- think Google or Facebook. The distinction is important, and an unbalanced regulatory framework could leave customers’ personal data unprotected.

That’s why Rep. Pallone called on congress to take legislative action that would allow the FTC to protect consumers from the “unscrupulous practices” of companies that want to monetize consumer data:

We need to make sure consumers’ privacy is protected, no matter where they go on the internet or how they connect. Congress should take this opportunity to fully empower the FTC, and give it the tools it needs to protect consumers from the unscrupulous practices of any company that can collect and monetize their data — whether it is a website or a cable company.

Read the full article here.

Link:

The FCC Must Act Now To Protect Our Privacy (The Huffington Post, Oct. 5, 2016)