Lobbyists for Google, Facebook Trying to Stop New Online Privacy Protections

Lobbyists representing tech firms such as Google and Facebook are fighting against new proposed online privacy protections.

Ars Technica reports that last week a bill was proposed by Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) that would require internet providers and websites to obtain users’ consent before accessing their web browsing and application usage history for advertising or monitoring purposes.

Currently, websites and social media companies in the online advertising industry uses self-regulatory mechanisms which let visitors opt-out of personalized advertising based on their recorded browsing history. Websites that break their own rules are also subject to punishment by the Federal Trade Commission. However, websites do not have to obtain opt-in consent from users before using their browsing history to show targeted ads.

Many lobbyists are attempting to block this new rule. The Internet Association, whose founding members include Google and Facebook and represent companies such as Amazon, Dropbox, eBay, Microsoft, Netflix, PayPal, Reddit, Spotify, and Twitter, issued a statement yesterday saying, “This bill has the potential to upend the consumer experience online and stifle innovation. Policymakers must recognize that websites and apps continue to be under strict FTC privacy enforcement and are not in an enforcement gap, unlike other stakeholders in the ecosystem.”