Millennials live on the Internet. We were born and raised surfing the web, using Snapchat and Instagram and, of course, playing games online. It is almost a birthright. Keeping the Internet free and clear of oppressive federal government red-tape and regulations is critical to keep innovation and growth in this space.
Some on the left see the web as the “wild west” that needs the guiding hand of government. A former commissioner of the Federal Elections Commission has repeatedly argued for federal control over the web. Ann Ravel, and others like her, want websites like the Drudge Report, YouTube and Twitter regulated by the feds. Other federal agencies, like the Federal Communication Commission (FCC), take a similar view.
During the Obama-era, the Chairman of the FCC, Tom Wheeler, set about an aggressive campaign that would in, FCC commissioner Ajai Pai’s words, “gives the FCC broad and unprecedented discretion to micromanage the Internet.”
Funded by over $100 million from George Soros, Google, and the Ford Foundation, the campaign centered on turning the Internet into a public utility by enacting so-called “Net Neutrality.” Pushing new and draconian “privacy rules” on Internet Service Providers (ISPs) was step two.
Let’s be clear, no one wants their private search history violated. That’s why the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has established a set of rules protecting user’s privacy. Those rules have been in place since the inception of the web. They have protected consumers and web users while allowing the Internet to flourish into what it is today.
Over objections of the FTC, Wheeler and his partisan majority on the FCC, pushed through new rules that not only further threaten the independence of the Internet but created one set of rules for ISPs while leaving potential major violators of your privacy – Google and Facebook – completely untouched.
The goal of the FCC was not to protect your privacy. The goal was to further move the ball down the field in their effort to further turn the Internet into a public utility where the government plays a heavy hand regulating.
In an era of “fake news,” one can hardly find an issue where more propaganda and outright falsehood has been written. Headline after headline proclaims that “Congress repealed Internet privacy.” Some claim that your browsing history is now up for sale to the highest bidder. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The rules in question never even took effect. The same privacy rules that have been working for twenty years remain in effect today. The fact is no one can sell your browsing history. The FTC has for nearly 20 years protected the privacy rights of web users. They have brought dozens of enforcement actions against companies that violate privacy. Those rules were untouched and remain in place.
Congress, thankfully refused to go along with this falsehood. Led by Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) and Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), they used the Congressional Review Act to repeal the proposed new rules. Congress’s refusal to go along with the scheme does not authorize ISPs to sell your data. And it is not the death of Internet privacy. One might argue it is the start of it.
The FTC and the new commissioner of the FCC are now committed to working together to harmonize privacy rules. Repeal means a common standard will now be created that reflects the positive approach created by the FTC. That is good news.
Government control of the Internet is not in the best interest of the American people. The electric company or the Post Office is not the right model to emulate if we want to continue to innovate online. We have grown up understanding that the Internet is essentially free from the heavy hand of government. While some on the left might call that “the wild west,” we call it liberty and long may it last.
Congress did the right thing when it refused to go along with the FCC’s power grab. They should be lauded for their efforts. Next time you hear someone claim that Congress “repealed privacy” you should understand what their real agenda is.
